Because of Tomomi
by DaZen Lemon
Summary: It is often through others that we discover our true selves." InuYasha befriends a village girl -- or is it the other way around? Seemingly incapable of logic, can she teach him a few of life's lessons? Post-manga, Inu/Kag
1. Hide and Seek

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or the like. This story is for my own entertainment. (Well. You can be entertained by it too, I suppose.)

A/N: My return to fanfiction!! I'm really, really hesitant to post anything online. I don't think I'm as good a writer as I was at one point. But I really wanna share this fic~! So here it is. …I actually had to be reminded to do this part here, so I don't know what else to say. Standard: Any reviews are greatly appreciated!

~==*==~

**Because of Tomomi**

**Chapter One**

**Hide and Seek**

~==*==~

How long had it been? Since he'd been awakened, since the Shikon no Tama shattered? Absently, he reached up to touch the rosary that hung around his neck. How long since they fought Naraku? Since Kagome came back? Did it matter how long it'd been? He supposed not. He folded his arms back into the sleeves of his fire-rat haori, continuing on his solitary walk. All that mattered now was that she was angry at him, but he didn't do anything wrong.

He twitched an ear in the direction he heard a rustle in the bushes. He heard stifled giggling, and flicked both his ears in irritation. Whatever the kid wanted, they weren't getting anything from him. He listened as the child crouched noisily, getting ready to spring out on him. He moved first, though, jumping to the treetops just as the child – a girl – tumbled out of the foliage.

"You found me!" she cried happily. When she realized there was no one in front of her, she lowered her hands and looked around. He stayed just long enough to see the girl spin around, confused. When her face started to crumple like she might cry, he bolted. He didn't want to deal with it, and he wanted even less for word to get out that he was the one to make a village girl cry.

Although, he couldn't for sure say she was from the village. He certainly hadn't seen her before, but then he didn't pay too much attention to the milling humans most of the time. He tried not to, anyway. They always ended up being more trouble than they were worth.

He found refuge in the Goshinboku, hiding away from the world in its lofty branches. He wanted to forget everything for a while, forget the village, the way Sango took Kagome's side, the way Miroku just laughed, and especially how Kagome had been angry enough to nearly cry.

Grumbling and folding his arms again, he settled back and grudgingly tried to relax. Kagome'd been gone three years. Of course he wanted to know what had happened to her since then. Who she'd been with, if _Hobo_ followed her around. He was allowed to know, wasn't he? So maybe lunch at Kaede's hadn't been the best place to bring up that line of conversation. But he wanted to _know_!

Another noisy rustle from nearby. The brat again? He wasn't going to move for her this time. Sure enough, the same girl from before clambered up to the tree.

"I found you, found you!" she sang. He glanced down at her, then pointedly ignored her. The hell was she doing in the forest anyway? "Ohhhh," she mumbled somberly, pressing her fingers to her lips. "Quiet time. Shh." She turned and sat at Goshinboku's base, hugging her knees to her chin. What was wrong with her? She was way too old to be acting the way she was. She was probably about the same age Kagome was when she first came through the well. But she looked thin and gangly, like she hadn't grown into her skin. And her hair was the lightest brown he'd ever seen on a human.

She sat perfectly still, and he found himself staring down at her head as if he could decipher her thoughts that way. Seriously, what the _hell_?

Suddenly, she beamed up at him, and pressed a finger to her lips. "Nii-chan's seeking now," she said. Then she turned back to stone, staring ahead into the forest. InuYasha was by then more than puzzled. He sniffed warily, catching the girl's scent. Definitely human. Then why did she have such blue eyes?

In the distance, he heard a young man's voice. "Tomomi!" he called out. "Tomomi-chan, where are you? Answer me!"

InuYasha looked down at the fair-haired girl again. Probably Tomomi. She obviously couldn't hear the man. She still sat stock-still. Quietest human ever, he mused. Then he grimaced. The man looking for Tomomi was going the wrong direction. Of course. What person in their right mind would plunge headlong into the heart of InuYasha's Forest? This crazy one, he answered himself. Well, no point in worrying anyone any more. The man's voice was starting to get more and more desperate.

Sighing, InuYasha hopped nimbly out of the tree and landed a few feet in front of the girl. She blinked, but did nothing else. He stared at her warily, but she didn't blink again. "Tomomi?" he asked. She smiled brilliantly. He shook his head. What was he doing? "Your brother is looking for you," he said.

"I know," she chirped. Something bothered him.

"How long have you been hiding for?" he wondered aloud. Tomomi looked up, putting her fingers to her chin.

"Oh," she pondered carelessly, "A day? Two?"

"Come on," he said sternly, quickly rising to his feet and offering her a hand up.

"Where are we going?" she asked with a trusting smile, taking his hand. Gods, InuYasha thought, this could have been bad.

"To your brother," he replied. Suddenly she was flailing and trying to escape.

"No, no!" she shouted. "That's not how the game works!" She continued to struggle, but he wouldn't let her escape. He didn't like the idea of her running off and finding more trouble.

"Okay, okay!" He tugged on her arm to get her attention. "In that case, I know the best hiding place," he lied. "He'll never think to find you where I can take you."

Just like that, her eyes were sparkling, and she went willingly with him. He had to reassure her a couple times that he wasn't taking her to her brother. That yes, the spot was in the village. He took her to Kaede's, not knowing what else to do. Kagome and Sango were still there. Sango looked ready to yell at him, but then Tomomi entered the hut behind him. Her words died in her throat – he could hear that happen – and instead she looked at him.

"InuYasha?" she asked, confused. Kagome wore a matching puzzled face, but Kaede wasn't surprised for more than a moment.

"Ah," she crooned. "I see you've met Tomomi-chan."

"Kaede-baa-chan?" Kagome frowned. Tomomi was already exploring the small dwelling, smelling herbs and examining dishes.

Watching the girl, Kaede gave a short sigh. "She and her brother came to the village not too long ago," she began. "Their village was raided – or something. Her brother won't say much and talking to Tomomi-chan is… well. Something happened to her, I think. But they're here to be close to their aunt and uncle. Taking care of this girl is… a challenge."

"Noticed," InuYasha muttered, sitting next to Kagome. The way she slightly leaned away, kept her back straight, told him she was still angry with him.

"What's wrong with her?" Kagome asked, ignoring InuYasha.

"She…" Kaede searched for a polite way to put it. "She's not all there, child. I spoke to her brother. Some days are better than others. Some days she's as good as normal. But other times… she can be a handful."

Kagome hummed her understanding.

"So she's crazy."

"InuYasha!" Kagome and Sango exclaimed.

"What?" he demanded.

~*~

Once awaking from their nap, the twins came to find their mother, father in tow. Once Sango got her hugs, the twins turned their attention to InuYasha – specifically, his ears. Once in a while Kagome would catch herself envying the children for just that.

As soon as the twins latched on to the hanyou, though, Tomomi seemed to realize that InuYasha _did_ have dog ears atop his head. She made her way closer to the ear-tug-of-war and sat on her heels, fascinated. Sitting a few feet away from the hyperactive children, she was bound to get noticed. One of the girls turned her attention to the older girl and grinned. Tomomi tilted her head to the side and regarded the girl curiously.

"Han'ou, han'ou!" she cried, throwing herself at Tomomi. _Hanyou_. The atmosphere turned tense with anticipation, awaiting Tomomi's reaction. Sango sent a confused look to Miroku; who had taught her that word? The toddler fisted her hands in Tomomi's bright hair and laughed delightedly.

"Kazumi," Sango called softly to her daughter. The tiny girl, blissfully innocent, wobbled over to her mother and smiled as she nuzzled into her arms. Sango returned the embrace, lifting her child off the floor, still watching Tomomi.

The girl's expression hadn't shifted from puzzlement, but slowly, it crumbled as she raised her hands to her face. She threw herself forward so that she was in a ball and shook.

"Tomomi-chan?" Kagome said, getting to her feet and going to the girl. "Tomomi-chan, are you alright?" She placed her hands on the girl's shoulders and tried to see her face. Kagome's concern grew when Tomomi remained silent but for her breathing, which grew more and more broken with hiccups.

InuYasha stood abruptly, catching the second little girl that went up with him. He passed her off to Miroku and he was out the door like a flash. Kagome's shout died in her throat. She knew he didn't like being around crying women, but just what the hell was that? She was torn between her concern for the girl and her anger toward InuYasha, between trying to comfort Tomomi and tearing after InuYasha to march him right back. Before she could work out which she'd rather do, the matting of the door flew open again, and InuYasha unceremoniously deposited a young man on the floor of Kaede's hut.

For as startled as he'd looked, the man recovered admirably fast. With a short gasp, he was up on his feet and clamoring to the other stranger in their midst. "Tomo-chan," he said.

"Nii-chan," she whispered, flinging herself at him, burying her face in his neck and whimpering. The man – undeniably Tomomi's older brother – hushed and rocked her while they were both on their knees. He turned and looked at everyone in the room apologetically, but none so much as Kaede and Kagome.

It wasn't long before Tomomi calmed down, but she still hid her face in her brother's shoulder while he sat around the fire pit with everyone else. She refused to let go of his hand, which she held by his thumb.

"I'm sorry for any trouble my sister may have caused you this afternoon," he said. But for his sister, he would have bowed. "I also thank you, InuYasha-san, for finding her and keeping her safe."

InuYasha folded his arms into his sleeves and looked away with a "keh."

"Ryouta-kun," Kaede interjected, worry in her voice, "are you not well?"

Tomomi's brother forced a polite smile. "Thank you for your concern, Kaede-sama, I am fine. I'm just glad to finally have my sister back in my sight."

"About that…" Miroku hedged, seeing off Sango and the children. He took up his spot next to Kaede again. "This girl is truly your sister?"

"Yes!" Ryouta exclaimed, a little to forcefully. He frowned defiantly at them all. InuYasha raised a curious eyebrow at him, while the others wore various masks of wariness. Ryouta seemed to realize his outburst. "I mean," he recovered, "yes… partially." He squeezed his sister's hand, but she didn't respond. She hadn't moved since Ryouta turned to face them. InuYasha was getting used to it, but the others still found it vaguely disturbing.

"Tomomi and I had the same mother. But my father was a wealthy public figure. Hers was…" His eyes tightened. "A barbarian." Kagome fidgeted, knowing how the Japanese first took to people from the west. She knew the history, but she didn't have to like it.

"Why is she like this?" InuYasha asked. Kagome looked like she wanted to scold him for asking, but wanted to know as well. Ryouta shook his head like he saw it coming, and he probably did. Kagome wondered just how many times the poor boy was going to have to explain his sister's behavior.

"When Tomomi was born, it was obvious that she wasn't my father's child," he began quietly. He covered his sister's hand with his free one. "My father… publically said our mother miscarried. And he hid Tomomi in our housing compound. It was extensive enough, and he paid his servants well enough that it was possible. But he couldn't pay them enough to care for her, to be unafraid of her." He paused then, the sorrow for others' actions plain on his face for the pain it'd caused his sister. "I saw her when I could, but it wasn't enough to keep her rooted in this reality I suppose."

He turned to face them again, forcing himself to be stoic. "She wasn't all that bad then. She just… wasn't entirely there. But then our town was raided. Because of my father, our house was targeted, and burned down. They ransacked the place, killed many of the servants." His eyes flinched. "My parents were killed. No one was left that knew about Tomomi or would care to tell someone. No one went to save her the way they came to save me. It was… several days before I could escape the refugee camp. I'd lost a lot of blood, and came down with a fever. I stole a horse and found the bandits. I don't know what they did to her. She can't or won't say."

"If you were injured, how did you save her?" Kagome asked before she could stop herself.

A heavy silence settled over the small gathering, broken only by the sound of the fire and the bustle of people outside. Kagome fidgeted when Ryouta looked to the fire, his gaze turning distant. Just when he seemed like he wasn't going to answer, he opened his mouth and pulled a breath as if to talk, then hesitated.

"I didn't," he admitted. He seemed horrified. "I found where the bandits had made camp, but… they were all dead. At first I feared some youkai had torn through them, Tomomi among them. But there she was, in the middle of the camp, sitting so serenely. She was naked and obviously had been scrubbed clean."

Swallowing his revulsion, Miroku forced himself to ask, "Was she the one that killed them?"

"I don't know," Ryouta whispered. "I found Tomomi a clean enough kimono and got her out of there. I didn't look too closely at the bodies. Maybe I didn't want to know. Either way… I don't know."

When the silence stretched on too long, and it was clear the conversation was over, Ryouta bundled up his sister and led her away, bowing to the others in Kaede's house. It was late afternoon, and Miroku dismissed himself shortly after Ryouta left to be back with his family and help his wife. Kaede stoked the fire for the silent pair remaining and left to see a family that'd asked her over for dinner. Contemplating Ryouta's story, Kagome shivered and rubbed her arms, as if she was chilled.

InuYasha knew she was still probably mad at him. He'd find some way to make up for it. But it didn't stop him from putting his arm around her shoulders and holding her close to his side. It eased some of the tension in his heart when she leaned into him and put her hand over his. Perhaps she wasn't as angry with him as he thought.


	2. Hesitant Affection

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or the like. This story is for my own entertainment. (Well. You can be entertained by it too, I suppose.)

A/N: Poor Hojo… even spellcheck thinks he's a hobo.

~==*==~

**Because of Tomomi**

**Chapter Two**

**Hesitant Affection**

~==*==~

How, InuYasha wondered to himself, could he even remotely entertain the thought of living with humans? He'd rejected and reviled the idea years ago. Yet somehow he just seemed to fall into living among them. It began and ended with Kagome; he started staying among them to protect her, just because he needed her for the Shikon, then somehow that grudging, forced protection turned gentler and yet more fierce. It became his will rather than his obligation, and once he realized that change, he realized he was doomed to remain among humans as long as Kagome was among them. He was grateful for the times she ventured out of the village. He'd follow her, under the pretense of protection, but they both knew it was a thin lie. Kagome let him get away with it though, as she enjoyed his company none the less. She didn't want to make him change his mind by digging at his real purpose.

This was one such time when Kagome's knowing smile was silent. He walked at her side while she meandered through the forest, collecting herbs and roots that she and Kaede frequently used. He hadn't pushed the Hojo issue since he'd first brought it up. Damned if he made her mad again, but damned if he'd apologize. There were three years of her life that he didn't know about; three years of her agonizingly short human life since he'd met her that he was left out of. Oh he knew how she felt about him. He didn't, however, know if she'd had any feelings for anyone while they were apart. He didn't know if she felt quite as strongly for him as she had before. While he sat every day, thinking of her, returning to the well as if to prove to himself that it wasn't just Goshinboku that connected their eras, had she thought of him half as much?

"What are you thinking so hard about, InuYasha?" Kagome asked, breaking his stream of thought.

"Nothing," he replied. He flinched inwardly at his knee-jerk response. Why couldn't he have said 'You,' or, 'How pretty you look,' or something that would make her smile and blush? Miroku was a master at doing that to Sango. He made it look so easy. And he'd done it for years. Was there just something fundamentally wrong with his own brain that made him unable to speak smoothly?

He flattened back his ears when Kagome said, "If you say so," and continued to collect plants. He didn't miss how her shoulders drooped ever so slightly. She was disappointed.

He heard a crackle of twigs on the ground, and grabbed for Tetsusaiga. He wouldn't let her be disappointed again. He scented the air, cursing that whatever it was, was downwind. He couldn't see anything in the direction the sound had come from, either. He strained his ears for any other sound, but nothing came. Was he so uneasy that he was jumping for a fight? At least Kagome hadn't noticed the reflexive clutch for his sword. He could only imagine how she'd tease him for jumping at squirrels. She seemed to take up Shippo's job when the kit was away, he grumbled to himself.

Kagome turned to say something to him, but instead looked to something beyond him. Just as he was going for Tetsusaiga again, half-turning to face the threat, he was tackled nearly to the ground.

"Found you, found you!" Tomomi giggled, hanging from his neck. She kicked her feet, which no longer touched the ground.

Fighting a smile, Kagome tried to express to the girl just how much danger she'd been in. "Tomomi-chan," she said gently, "you can't sneak up on InuYasha like that."

"No ninja?" Tomomi blinked, turning to Kagome. Kagome had to fight to keep a straight face.

"No ninja," she repeated.

The younger girl seemed to pout for a moment before lighting back up. "Youkai-iii!" she declared, and bit into InuYasha's shoulder. He yelped, surprised, and grabbed her under her arms to plant her jarringly on the ground.

"No," he said. "No ninja, no youkai…" he noticed how her gaze slid to his sword. He put a restraining hand on her chest and a protective hand on Tetsusaiga. "And definitely no samurai!"

_No samurai_.

Tomomi dropped to her knees, her face slack. _No samurai_.

"Tomomi-chan!" Kagome exclaimed, coming to her side. InuYasha looked stricken. Had he said something wrong? Kagome shook the frail girl by her shoulders, trying to get a reaction from her. "Tomomi-chan!" she shouted again. "Can you hear me? Tomomi-chan!"

Tears began to roll down Tomomi's face, but the girl herself was silent. "There are no samurai," she said. Her lips began to quiver. "Even samurai can't save…" Kagome didn't know how to console her. She didn't make a sound as she cried, and continued to stare blankly forward. Kagome wrapped her arms around the girl, tried to comfort her. Tomomi continued to whisper "no samurai."

"Hey," InuYasha barked, dropping to one knee next to the two women. "You don't need any stinking samurai. You can save yourself. So snap out of it!"

Blinking slowly, Tomomi raised her hand and gripped the sleeve of InuYasha's haori. "Youkai," she mumbled. A slight frown shadowed her face, and she touched her cheek. Kagome pulled away a little when Tomomi jerked and stared at her hand in shock. She looked at the sky, confused. "Rain?" she asked. She didn't think too long on it before standing, breaking Kagome's hold on her. She'd already let go of InuYasha. "Rain?"

"It's stopped already," Kagome said.

"Oh," was the reply. Still she didn't look away from the sky, or what she could see of it through the canopy of leaves above them. She missed Kagome and InuYasha exchange concerned glances and confused shrugs.

~*~

"Tomo-tatoes," Tomomi giggled, amused with the world she saw moving under InuYasha's feet. He had her slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, so she was indeed, Tomo-tatoes. Kagome walked beside them, carrying a basket loaded with the vegetation she'd left seeking. While she was continually amused by Tomomi's simple entertainment, InuYasha was rather irritated. He didn't exactly mind the crazy girl he was carrying – though she was a handful – but he minded that his time alone with Kagome had been compromised. It seemed to be happening more and more frequently lately, what with Kagome's miko training consuming almost all of her day. And by the time she finally got a break, she was tired and just wanted to sleep. Sure, she'd talk to him and see him throughout the day, but it just wasn't the same. There was always someone around. When they did happen to get time alone together, he never seemed to be able to work up the nerve to talk to her before one of them had something else to do.

Kagome seemed to be enjoying herself, though. And seeing her being so lively with the villagers, so tender with the sick, endeared her to him. He wondered if it were possible to care about her any more than he already did, and though he didn't think it was possible, apparently it was. He just didn't know how much longer he could stand always being around people when he wanted her alone.

Getting back to the village, Kagome and InuYasha stopped short, seeing a white horse standing outside Kaede's hut. Who in the world…? The stallion tossed his mane and reared a little as they passed him to enter. Tomomi flinched away from him, and InuYasha felt her hands fist in the back of his haori. Inside, they discovered Kaede tending to a young man who sat shirtless at the fire pit. His torso was wrapped with bandages, and he seemed to be in pain.

"Kagome-chan, InuYasha," Kaede greeted them warmly. The young man looked up, and his face brightened.

Kagome's stomach plummeted. She knew that look. She knew that look _damn_ well. It wasn't the look a sick person gives their doctor when they're grateful to see them. Oh, no. It was that same look that Kouga or Hojo wore when either of them spotted her. She half-hid behind InuYasha, at the same time trying not to. When the hanyou let Tomomi off his shoulder, she squealed and went on all fours next to the man to stare at his bandages. He looked startled, and then Tomomi poked him carelessly where there was blood on the white cloth. His scream came a second later, after his eyes had bugged out and he threw himself to the floor, away from Tomomi. Kagome felt horrible for almost smiling in sadistic pleasure. She just didn't want to deal with this man. However, she was still a miko, and he was in pain…

"Tomomi-chan," Kagome scolded gently. "He's hurt there!"

There was no talking to the girl. She found his screaming hysterical, but Kaede shooed her away from the writhing man and she pulled away, still giggling. Looking cross, Kaede apologized to the young man led Tomomi out of the hut, presumably to take her to back to her brother. On her way out she told Kagome what she'd done for the man and what to do next. Tomomi was smiling as she was pulled along by the old woman.

Dismayed but not showing it, Kagome set about storing her haul. "I'm sorry about her," Kagome lied. "She doesn't understand sometimes."

The young man wheezed, gingerly touching his bandages. "Well," he said, then turned to beam at Kagome. "Even under the circumstances, it's a pleasure to meet you, Kagome-sama." With her back turned to him, Kagome didn't bother trying to hide the strain in her smile when she made a polite sound. "Ah!" he exclaimed. "Where are my manners?" He stood – obviously painfully – and approached Kagome. She turned to face him, but only because she had to. She didn't want him at her back. "I am Mitsuo Shigeru." He bowed.

"Nice to meet you, Mitsuo-san," Kagome bowed slightly in return. How could she get him out of here…?

"Please," he grinned, "Shigeru is fine."

"She ain't gonna be on no familiar terms with you, asshole," InuYasha growled, angry at being ignored. Mitsuo jumped as if just realizing he was there. It didn't improve on the hanyou's mood any. He glowered at the injured man, then propped himself against a wall, resting Tetsusaiga against his shoulder. Kagome allowed herself to feel relieved that he'd saved her from coming up with a way to tell Mitsuo it wasn't going to happen – _politely_.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Mitsuo-san?" Kagome asked. The man in question glanced balefully toward InuYasha, and forced a smile.

"No," he said. "I should be on my way. There are still things I can get done even injured." He bowed after re-clothing himself. "Please pass my thanks on to Kaede-sama."

_Finally_, Kagome sighed. He was gone. She had a sneaking suspicion that she hadn't seen the last of him, though. She tried to force the thought out of her mind as she set about the hut to prepare lunch. Kaede had a stew cooking over the fire, so all she had to do was pull out bowls and chopsticks. Still, she thought, busy hands don't think.

~*~

"Inu?"

InuYasha twitched at the shortening of his name, but tried not to mind it. It wasn't like fighting with Tomomi would get him anywhere, anyway. He turned to face the tawny-haired girl, who was half-hugging a tree, as if she was hesitant to approach him. And how could he blame her? He was practically exuding unrest even though he stood stock-still on top of a hill, overlooking the village. He turned back to the view of the valley. Tomomi came up to him quietly, careful not to provoke him with her hands clasped in front of her.

"Something bothers Inu," she said gently. He frowned as he caught her scent. Her body language said she was afraid. So why didn't she smell like it? She didn't know him. She didn't know if he would attack her. He was half bothered by her lack of fear, otherwise he wasn't sure how he felt about it. The only other person who hadn't feared him to some extent on sight had been Kagome.

"I guess," he replied.

"It's about Miko-chan," Tomomi said matter-of-factly. She took InuYasha's silence as a confirmation. "Why does Miko-chan bother Inu? Why-why, when Inu," she pressed her hands to her heart, "is in lo-ooove," she spun around on her toes and let herself fall on her back, "with Miko-chan?" InuYasha was watching her incredulously now, but she just stared up at him with laughing blue eyes.

"How did you--?" he started, at a loss for words. "I don't--" Tomomi giggled at him. He grit his teeth and dropped to sit cross-legged. "Fine."

"_So_," Tomomi persisted, sitting up and imitating his posture. "Bother bother?" InuYasha refused to answer her. Her expression slowly turned worried, and then stricken. "Does Miko-love bother Inu?"

"No!" InuYasha shouted on reflex. "I mean… yes, but – No! It's not that." He looked away from her, hiding his arms in his sleeves. Tomomi leaned forward on her hands. He grimaced. He didn't want talk. But then it wasn't like the girl was capable of spreading his secrets. Who would take her seriously? He refused to look at her while he spoke. "Kagome was gone for a long time. I don't know if… she feels the same way for me as she did…"

He was startled by her bray of laughter. "Silly Inu!" she said, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. InuYasha bristled, his lips tightening. "Miko-chan cares so-ooo much!" When she said this she pressed her hands to hear heart and twisted back and forth at her waist. "So much! Silly Inu just doesn't see!"

Tomomi put her hands on her stomach when it growled. "Ooh," she mumbled. She said nothing more, instead opting for half-skipping down the hill to the village. It was just as well. InuYasha had nothing to say to her any more. Did Tomomi know just what the hell she was talking about? Or was she rambling about what she saw in that misty little head of hers? He didn't dare to hope that she was right. It would break his heart too much if he believed and she was wrong.

Three years. They'd been separated three years, and he'd only had her back for two or three weeks. How had she spent those years? It wasn't like she had a surly hanyou to interrupt her from anything in that time. Her studies, her family, her friends… his expression darkened. Hojo. Three years with that bumbling idiot, probably chasing after her the entire time. Had she relented? Did she enjoy the attention? Did she accept him? Did she… touch him? Did she let him touch her? He swore under his breath. It was going to drive him crazy if he didn't find out. But then, a certain answer would drive him just as nuts.

He growled the entire way back to the village. He may be angry, but damn if he'd miss a meal because of it.


	3. Mangled Harmony

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or the like. This story is for my own entertainment. (Well. You can be entertained by it too, I suppose.)

**WARNING: This chapter contains material which may be offensive to some readers. Reading this chapter is of your own volition and the writer and website cannot and will not be responsible for any offense you may bring upon yourself while reading it. **

A/N: ~huggles Shinrin~ I found a way to revive an old OC, ROFL. Also, this chapter contains a _lime_, meaning sexual situations, so I included the warning. Any and all citrus-y chapters will have the above warning. (If you don't know what "lime" or "lemon" constitute in the fanfiction world, _you haven't read enough of it_. ~heart~)

~==*==~

**Because of Tomomi**

**Chapter Three**

**Mangled Harmony**

~==*==~

Kagome bemoaned her fortunes. Kaede was gone for the next few days to stay with a pregnant woman who was due any day. Miroku and InuYasha were out "exterminating," and Sango always had so much on her motherhood plate, especially after the addition of her little boy, who she named Shinrin. As if the twins Akemi and Kazumi weren't enough. They were so full of energy, but they were good kids, Kagome supposed. But even Shippo had been gone the past few days for his kitsune training. No one was around to help her around the house… or shoo away Mitsuo. While she pitied the man for his injury – which wasn't healing too well thanks to Tomomi the Pest – she didn't understand why he couldn't _make his own lunch_.

"Thank you, Kagome-sama," he smiled at her when she handed him a bowl of rice and a pair of chopsticks. Kagome nodded, but said nothing. She needed to figure out how to tell someone off without guilt tripping herself later. Or maybe she could skip the guilt tripping altogether. _Yeah, right_, she admonished herself. Her manners were as difficult to drop as breathing, except when it came to InuYasha. She allowed herself to zone off, gazing into the smoldering fire pit.

Who knew what InuYasha was thinking anymore? She knew things between them wouldn't exactly pick up where they were left off, but damn if she'd thought they'd be awkward for so long. It'd been nearly a month since she came back to the Sengoku Jidai, and she and InuYasha hadn't had too much time together, alone. After the first week of InuYasha being stand-offish around her, she threw herself into her miko duties. After all, busy hands don't think. It continued for two more weeks, this awkward behavior of his. She just… didn't know how to broach the subject. She knew better than anyone that charging headlong into a meaningful or probing conversation with InuYasha was not the best way to go. More often than not it would just scare him away, or make him shut down. No, trying to talk to InuYasha was like pulling teeth when it counted.

Thankfully, Mitsuo was silent while he ate. Maybe she could just shove food down his gullet every time he started talking. Maybe eventually he'd take the hint and leave her alone. She allowed herself a little sigh. If only things could have been as easy as they'd been with Hojo.

Mitsuo put his empty bowl down, and beamed at Kagome. She'd hardly nibbled at her own. _No_, Kagome whimpered to herself. She knew _that_ look, too.

"Do you feel alright, Kagome-sama?" Mitsuo worried. "You've hardly touched your food."

She was spared having to come up with a response, because InuYasha chose that moment to enter the small house with something on a string slung over his shoulder. It was covered with a thin white cloth. He spared Mitsuo a withering glare as Tomomi scampered inside, also carrying something covered in white cloth on a string.

"Miko-chan, Miko-chan!" the girl crowed. She plopped down on her knees next to Kagome and lifted the white cloth. "Bunny for eating in winter!" She covered the meat up again and trotted over to where InuYasha was hanging the larger string in the back of the hut. Handing it off, she returned to Kagome. "Hentai-sama wins such neat prizes!" she laughed.

Kagome and Mitsuo both sputtered. "Hen… Hentai-sama, you said?" Tomomi nodded happily.

"She means Miroku," InuYasha grumped, taking up a place next to the fire pit. "She heard Sango call him 'hentai' just before we left and now we can't get her to call him anything else." A fang peeked out of his smirk. "Poor bastard's mortified."

"I imagine so," Mitsuo breathed. Kagome wondered if he was in shock from discovering a young girl knew the word 'hentai.'

Tomomi tilted her head at Kagome. "Why is Miko-chan so stressed?" she bubbled.

"Oh!" Mitsuo exclaimed. "Forgive me for intruding so long, Kagome-sama. Please allow me to rub your shoulders as an apology!"

"_What?_" InuYasha shouted. Mitsuo was already standing and walking toward Kagome.

"Someone's going to lose his fingers," Tomomi giggled quietly to herself.

"Shoulder rubs are indeed good for stress and should be administered—"

"_I'll_ do it then!" InuYasha countered, shoving Mitsuo out of the way. The other man stopped awkwardly.

"Oh… well," he stammered. He missed Tomomi eying the spot she knew his wounds were concealed with a sort of sick excitement. He fled with a squeal when the girl jumped up and came after him with her index fingers extended, aimed for his injured ribs. As soon as the two were out the door and a decent way down the road – evidenced by Mitsuo's fading shouts of "No! Leave me alone! Aaaagh!" – InuYasha heaved an exasperated sigh.

"Aw," Kagome half-pouted. "Why'd you stop?"

With a blink and a non-committal mumble, he started rubbing her shoulders again. With his full attention this time, Kagome melted under his touch. She let her head fall forward as he worked at her tense muscles. She rocked slightly, in tandem to the pressure InuYasha applied to her back. Very suddenly InuYasha realized that he was touching Kagome, and he was also aware of just how long it'd been since he'd done so. And he'd never really touched her… like this. He'd never felt her slender shoulders, feeling their delicate strength through the cloth of her kosode. He wondered and marveled at her body, and under the pretense of massaging her, he let his hands fall lower, to her shoulder blades, splaying his fingers and rubbing in small circles, concentrating most of the pressure on his thumbs. He continued with his thumbs down the sides of her spine, small circles, small circles, to the small of her back. Keeping his thumbs in small circles, he let the rest of his fingers curl around her form. His fingertips just touched the top of her hips, and for just a moment he let his touch stay there, stilled.

Shaking his head before Kagome could question him, he returned his ministrations to her shoulders and worked his thumbs up her neck. She gave a small, pleased groan, and InuYasha had to stop to breathe. "It's okay, keep going," Kagome said, since he'd taken his hands away from her neck. He cursed himself. His mind was thoroughly in the gutter, but he couldn't bring himself to stop for too long. He couldn't keep his mind from turning this contact into something sexual. If he rubbed right there, she'd sigh, and this spot here earned him a groan, and just there would make her shiver. He swept her hair over one of her shoulders and tried to focus on coaxing the tension out of her little muscles. Unable to help himself, he let his thumbs slip under the neck of her clothes, wanting to touch more of her skin. He was startled when she loosened her robes and let it fall over her shoulders.

He didn't dare to breathe as he explored her skin, abandoning his small circles for broader strokes from the bone of her shoulder to the base of her neck. He watched her skin bunch and roll under his fingers, then slide back to place. His attention earned him delicious sighs that made him shiver in response. He worked his way down her back, and tried to hold his heart in check as Kagome let her kosode slide lower and lower, always just before he would touch the fabric. She wore that "bra" thingy from her time, and he wondered at its "elastic" bands before continuing his exploration downward. She was almost doubled over on herself by the time he got to her lower back again. She'd stopped holding her clothes closed altogether, and held her sleeves in front of her chest to preserve her modesty.

"Haa," she breathed, arching her back when he slid his thumbs at the back of her spine. She was so completely unraveled under his touch, she barely wondered just what had gotten into her. InuYasha gulped as he stilled his hands just as he had before. Tentatively, he put pressure on his fingers instead of his thumbs, stroking her sides at the hip and working his way up again from there. When he started on his way down her back, being mindful of his claws, he slid his fingers between her skin and the strap of her bra. She scared him half to death when she reached behind her back and undid the clasps. _Gods, what am I doing_, she thought distantly. She didn't bother to cover herself any more. _Never one to do things half-way…_ His throat worked convulsively as he massaged the previously covered flesh, with shallow grooves where the elastic had pulled. He edged his way to her sides and started down to her hips. Kagome was veritably squirming under his touch, as if she wanted him to do something but wasn't going to tell him.

Making an attempt to control his breathing, he slid his fingers past the bone of her hips to her belly and began massaging up her abdomen, hesitating when he touched her bra, which hung uselessly from her shoulders. She slipped her hands out of her robes and bra and everything. Very carefully, testing her reaction, he ran a single claw over the underside of her breasts. She squirmed for sure that time, exhaling heavily. He shifted closer, not daring to hope yet holding his breath for it. He did the same thing with his fingertips, and when she moved into his touch, he took her entire breasts into his hands and pulled her against his chest, bowing his head over her shoulder. He kissed her neck and squeezed, making her gasp. She tilted her head to the side to surrender her neck to him, and he greedily accepted the offer. He nuzzled and licked and kissed and nipped her skin, all the while kneading and squeezing her chest, rubbing his thumbs over her nipples so that they stiffened. She panted his name and he pulled her tighter against his chest, but kept her from touching his hips or what was hidden there.

Half-wild, Kagome pulled away from him enough to turn around and straddle his thighs, keeping a tantalizing distance between their bodies. InuYasha was mesmerized by her eyes, all dark and inviting. With one hand on her waist, he raised the other to her face, rubbing his thumb over her cheekbone. His smoldering gaze slid to her lips, and ever so slowly, he pulled her closer, stretching his neck to meet her half-way. When they were only a breath apart, they both hesitated, realizing what was about to happen. Realizing it would be their first real kiss. Then the moment was gone and their lips met.

The kiss was gentle, chaste. They pulled away only fractionally, then kissed again, this time with more confidence and more heat. Kagome moaned against his lips, and pulled away a second time. Their gazes locked for a long second, long enough for Kagome to marvel at the intensity of InuYasha's honey-gold eyes and wonder at the emotions there, before they snaked their arms around each other and kissed once again, this time all passion and fire. InuYasha rubbed his hands heatedly down Kagome's back, wondering how an innocent massage had gone so awry. Kagome pulled open his haori and underlying kosode to touch the bare skin of his chest, his abs, his shoulders, his back, his arms, his neck, anywhere she could reach. He released her only long enough to slip his arms out of his sleeves, then he was holding her tightly again.

She shifted her hips closer to his. InuYasha gripped her ass and ground her against himself, letting out a low, pleasure-ridden hiss. Kagome dipped her head to nibble at his neck, her breathing heavy as she tormented his flesh with her attention. One of her hands came up to rub the base of his ears, the other wandering his exposed skin like a hot ghost. InuYasha gasped and growled, thrusting his hips against hers and making her cry out. The sound was delicious and he ached for more. He worked one hand between them to tease one of her breasts. Both hands occupied and still more curves to explore, he lowered his head and captured one of her nipples in his mouth, teasing it relentlessly with his tongue and pinching its twin with his fingers. Kagome's shout was guttural, unchecked, and made her arch her back.

"InuYasha," she whispered desperately. It gave him no small thrill to hear her say his name that way. _His_ name. Not some – Hobo's.

She must have caught his hesitation, the way he opened his mouth as if to speak, before he kissed her again, because she pulled away to ask what was wrong. "Nothing," he growled, trying to sound gentle.

"No," she insisted. Her heart pattered hopefully in her chest, wondering what he stopped himself from saying. "What were you going to say?"

He didn't want it to kill the mood, but fighting with her would do just that anyway. "I… wondered if you'd kissed Hojo while you were away."

A white-hot silence consumed them, and InuYasha braced for what he knew was coming.

Wondered if she'd--? How dare he! She was off him in a split second.

"_Osuwari_!" she half-screamed. InuYasha went face-first into the floorboards of Kaede's hut with a loud and painful "thunk." She was near tears with her frustration as she righted her clothing.

"What the--?"

"Osuwari!" She didn't want to hear him talk. She didn't want to be around him. He thought that she'd--? With another man? _Hojo_ of all people? "Osuwari, osuwari, osuwari!" She ignored his shouts of pain and stormed out the door, nearly knocking someone over.

"Miko-chan!" Tomomi chirped happily, as usual.

"Are you supposed to be out on your own so much?" Kagome snapped, brushing past her. Tomomi's face fell.

"Miko-chan," she called. "Mi-iiiko-oooo-cha-aaan!" She chased after Kagome, unknowingly leaving InuYasha alone with his face in the ground, bodily frustrated, confused, and thoroughly angry.

~*~

"I found you, found you!"

_Dammit_, Kagome swore in her mind. She'd thought she lost the crazy girl a while back, but no. She found her way through the forest to her hiding spot where two great trees had fallen against a boulder, creating a small cave just big enough for Kagome to lay down in. Not that she was laying down now. She was as far back as she could get, hiding in the shadows of her spot. It was all for naught though, as Tomomi crawled in after her.

"Why is Miko-chan mad?" Tomomi asked. Kagome's only answer was a little huff of air. "Ohh," the girl nodded. "Miko-chan can be grumpy youkai too!" Copying Kagome's sound, she huddled her knees to her chin and glared out into the forest. She even tried growling, but it turned out an angry purr instead. Keeping a straight face proved too hard, so Kagome chuckled despite herself. It made Tomomi light up again. It didn't last long, though.

"Miko-chan," Tomomi frowned, her eyes losing their focus. She seemed to talk from very far away. "Why are you mad at Inu?" Kagome bit her lip.

"Because he's a jealous prick," she said.

"Of course," Tomomi snorted. Kagome was startled. She didn't have that childish lilt to her voice. Suddenly the gangly girl seemed much older than before, and Kagome wondered if this was her being sane. Or Kagome was going insane and understanding her. She wasn't sure which was more likely that night. The two sat in silence for a while, Kagome running through her afternoon of insanity with InuYasha, wondering just how she'd let herself get so out of control. Wondering how she'd let herself ruin it all. She covered her face with her hands and slouched. Tomomi put a hand on her shoulder, but Kagome _didn't know what to do_.

"InuYasha is selfish," Tomomi announced. "And he isn't confident."

It was Kagome's turn to snort, since she refused to laugh again. "You haven't known him all that long," she mumbled.

The reply came with a shrug. "I know him well enough." Now Kagome turned to look at her. Still the girl stared into the forest. "He's easy to understand if you try."

The comment stung. As if _Kagome_ didn't know InuYasha at all. As if _Kagome_ didn't know how he could be all balls and sass on the battlefield, and then turn skittish and squeaky once confronted with tears. As if _Kagome_ didn't know that he was rude and stand-offish when he was uncertain. As if—

She slammed her forehead into her knees. She flew off the handle at him again. She was so puffed up by her indignity at his inquiry that she'd refused to see his hesitation and uncertainty. Gods, she was horrible. InuYasha _was_ always jealous, and she never really did anything to soothe that. With three years between them, and InuYasha so wary of any affections, how could he _not_ be curious about how she'd spent her time? If Kikyou had been around, certainly she'd have a few insecurities of her own. He didn't have any other suitors, whereas Kagome still had one in the era InuYasha was barred from.

She and InuYasha were both half an idiot, but at least together they made sense after all the stupidity.

She had to tell him just what happened with Hojo. She'd been sworn to secrecy… but she and InuYasha couldn't have any secrets if they were going to work things out. And she so desperately wanted to have something with the hanyou.

Tomomi got to her hands and knees and peeked out of their hiding spot when she saw something fall to the ground. She looked to the sky and promptly recoiled and blinked. "Rain!" she exclaimed. Kagome sighed with half a smile. Tomomi was back to normal. The girl turned and looked at her, surprised. "Miko-chan?"

Shaking her head, Kagome took Tomomi's hand. "Let's go home," she said. "Before the rain _really_ gets going!" Tomomi nodded and got to her feet. They raced through the forest, in a mad dash to beat the rain to the village.


	4. Turbulence and Apologies

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or the like. This story is for my own entertainment. (Well. You can be entertained by it too, I suppose.)

A/N: OH GOD WHAT? CONSTANT A/N?? Who the HELL would want that?? Well, for those that are interested in my bizarre mind and some thoughts on this fanfiction, as well as UPDATES, you can go to .com/ and read it all up. I decided I didn't want to use my main LJ for my fic thoughts.

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**Because of Tomomi**

**Chapter Four**

**Turbulence and Apologies**

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"Kagome-sama." The young man's voice was thick with surprise. He'd been busy repairing his uncle's fishing net, but he put it down quickly and motioned Kagome inside. Tomomi followed her. "Tomo-chan!" he said with equal surprise.

"Ryo-nii!" Tomomi beamed, throwing herself at him and wrapping her arms around his neck. Ryouta returned her embrace, looking over the girl's shoulder at the miko standing just inside his door. He wondered briefly at her tear-reddened eyes, but said nothing. Her expression was mildly happy, relaxed. Like she'd reached a good conclusion of something. Though he was curious, he kept it to himself. He owed the woman too much to be prying into her life.

"Thank you," he said instead, trying to bow around his sister. "Please forgive my bothersome sister."

Kagome waved off the apology with a smile. "She's really no bother," she contested. A mysterious expression crossed her face. "It's been good to have someone like her around." Before Ryouta could wonder about it, the expression was gone. "I'd better be on my way. Goodnight." She bowed and turned, but then Tomomi spoke up.

"Miko-chan, Miko-chan!" she chirped. She went to the back corner of the hut and brought forth a wide bamboo hat. "Here!" She held it out to the miko. "Rain shield!"

"Thank you," Kagome said. "Goodnight then, Tomomi-chan."

Ryouta watched the young woman leave, then turned his gaze to his sister as she circled the fire pit with her arms outstretched like a bird. With a resounding thud, she sat on her knees and began to wring out her damp hair. He sat across from her and watched her work, twisting her hair so that the rain-water dripped onto her already wet clothes.

"Tomo-chan," he said absently, connecting his knee to his elbow, and his chin to his palm, "you'll catch a cold if you stay in those clothes."

The girl continued as if her brother hadn't spoken. It puzzled him. How could Kagome and InuYasha get Tomomi to react to them? To _interact_? Was it something he wasn't doing? Did it have to do with spiritual powers or youki? Was he going to have to resign himself to never being able to behave normally around his sister? Would they have to rely on the miko and youkai living with Kaede? He didn't like being powerless to help. He didn't like entrusting Tomomi to anyone else. Since the bandits… He didn't like it when he couldn't keep an eye on her. But what else could he do? She so frequently ran off on her own, and she was pretty good at staying hidden.

When Tomomi started to run her fingers through her tangled locks, Ryouta stood and retrieved their mother's comb – one of the few reminders of their former life. He sat behind his sister, and began to brush her hair. Tomomi was still and silent. He continued to fruitlessly ponder, and it took him a while for him to realize Tomomi's hair was snag-less. What's more, she'd fallen asleep sitting up. She didn't bob her head or anything. Shaking his head, Ryouta laid out her futon, undressed his sister, and put her to bed. He spread out her sopping clothes on the floor in hopes that they'd dry, and returned to his work on his uncle's net. Frequently he'd gaze into the fire, but as always, it held no answers for him in the night.

~*~

Kagome stood outside Kaede's hut for a moment, gripping the rain hat Tomomi lent her with white knuckles. She closed her eyes tight, trying to strengthen her resolve to tell InuYasha about Hojo. It wrenched in her gut that she was about to betray her promises to herself and to the boy she'd spent high school with. But this was InuYasha she was dealing with. '_No secrets_,' she reminded herself. Despite herself, she shivered before she closed the distance between herself and the hut entrance. She took a breath to speak as she lifted the mat aside, but was beaten to the punch as soon as she was in the door.

"Kagome!" came a gleeful cry. Suddenly there was orange hair in her vision and a young kitsune youkai clinging to the front of her shirt. Habit and reflex had her wrapping her arms around the creature and smiling.

"Welcome home, Shippo-chan."

Well, there went any chance she had to talk to InuYasha tonight. She didn't let her nerves show through her smile as she sat by the fire. There was a surprise waiting for her there. A pot of stew bubbled mildly half-over the fire. There was even a bowl waiting for her, and it was still warm. Shippo jumped out of her arms and watched her taste the stew expectantly.

"Wow," she said. "This is really good."

Shippo couldn't sit still any longer. "I caught the rabbit that's in there!" he boasted.

"Awesome, Shippo-chan!" Kagome gushed. She reached out to ruffle the kitsune's hair, genuinely happy for him. He'd been bringing home larger and larger animals to cook since he started training with other kitsune. And just like his prey had grown, Kagome noticed that her little fox's limbs and torso were getting longer. She continued eating, wondering if Shippo would grow the same way an actual fox would, and be all arm and leg before the rest of him caught up.

"InuYasha's the one that made the actual stew," Shippo admitted. "But he said he had something to do so he left just before you got here." He muttered what Kagome assumed was an insult under his breath.

"Really," she murmured. She spent the rest of her meal listening to Shippo recount exciting events from his training. She did listen attentively for most of his stories, but once or twice she caught herself looking at the pot of stew InuYasha had cooked up. She supposed the hanyou was still angry at her for earlier.

"Shippo-chan," came a woman's voice. Kagome and the youkai in question looked to the door, where Sango was peeking in. "The girls are going to bed soon."

"Oh!" Shippo exclaimed. He hugged Kagome. "I'm the twins' snuggle buddy tonight," he smiled. Kagome chuckled.

"Sleep well then," she replied. She waved to Sango as the woman left with Shippo. Her smile froze on her lips for a moment, and then she sighed. Alone again, she thought glumly. She stared into her bowl of stew, mostly empty. As she became more immersed in the life of the villagers, around people almost all day, she was really starting to hate being alone. When she was alone, her thoughts turned to InuYasha with a horrible swiftness she almost wished she could resist.

How had things become like this? She and InuYasha used to be so much closer. Had three years really driven such an awkward gap between the two of them? Did he still care for her the way he used to? She shook her head, cleaning up after her meal. Of course, she chastised herself. He was jealous because he cared. He was jealous because _he_ wanted her attention. She looked out the small window to the darkening sky, and went to the back of the hut to change her clothes. Before she pulled on the sleeping yukata, she stood for a moment and idly touched the straps of her bra. How much longer would the elastic garment last her? With a quick sigh she removed it from her body and donned the light yukata, loosely tying it with the sash from her hakama.

Nothing else to do, she spread out her futon, crawled under her covers, and went to sleep.

~*~

InuYasha stood with his back pressed to the wall beside the door of Kaede's hut, one hand pressed over his thundering heart. Eyes impossibly wide, he fought to control his breathing as well as his pulse. He tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but to no avail.

_What the hell was Kagome doing changing in the middle of the room like that right when he was walking in the door?!_

He'd escaped before she could realize he was there, mostly out of instinct. He'd already been "sat" enough for one day. And while his mind's instincts were right as rain, they weren't the instincts his _body_ wanted to be following right then. He groaned and clenched his eyes shut for a second, then propelled himself away from the hut and into the forest.

_Run, run, fucking run. Don't think, don't think, don't go back, idiot!_

Before he realized where he was headed, he found himself at the lake the river spilled into. Without a second thought he plunged into its chilly depths and let himself float, suspended in thought and action beneath the water's surface. When his lungs burned for air, he reared up and gasped. He slouched in the shoulder-deep water until his lips were submerged, and stared angrily across the lake.

'_Fucking ay_,' he thought. '_Fuck-ing-ay!_' Just what was up with Kagome today anyway? She'd never let him so close before. She'd never let him near when she wasn't properly clothed, either. What had happened to her modesty while she was away? He shouted wordlessly into the water and splashed around with his fists, angrily. Kagome was _his_! What was she doing being all modesty-less around _other_ people? Had _Hobo_ taught her all that? He shook his head furiously, splashing more. There was no way that'd happened. She'd been furious when he mention she might have _kissed_ him.

He may be wrong about a lot of things when it came to Kagome, but he was pretty sure she wasn't going to go around sleeping with a guy she wouldn't ever think of kissing.

Muttering darkly to himself, he trudged out of the lake and stripped, wringing out his clothes before laying them out to dry. How fucking stupid was he to jump into the water fully clothed, anyway? He supposed it just went to show how easily he fell for immediate solutions.

"Goddamn it!" he shouted, slamming his fist into the ground. After all that time he'd spent running around and cooking and just _doing_ things to keep his mind off of Kagome's body, he was right back at square one. But at least his blood wasn't on fire quite as much. He was just about to lay back and try to relax when he caught a familiar scent in the air.

"Oh no," he growled. "Oh _hell_ no."

"InuYasha."

"_Fuckfuckfuck_," the hanyou whispered under his breath. He leveled a glare at his half-brother without bothering to get up. Sesshoumaru just stood there with his ever-stoic expression. InuYasha didn't let it bother him. He stood and faced his brother with his arms crossed, annoyance written on his face. "What?" he demanded.

"Young women are being taken from villages closer and closer to this one," Sesshoumaru said, deadpan. "Rin will stay with this Sesshoumaru until you take care of whatever youkai is behind this."

InuYasha sputtered a bit, bewildered. "_Excuse me_?"

"Your humans are the same age as the ones that have been disappearing," Sesshoumaru returned without missing a beat. "Protect your land and your humans, else this Sesshoumaru will do it for you. And you will not like my alternatives." Before InuYasha could form a coherent sentence, Sesshoumaru turned and walked away.

The hanyou flailed his arms, frustrated with the world and everything in it. As if he didn't have enough problems already! But no, his asshole of a brother had to show up and put the perfect cherry on top of the whole damn thing. Growling his anger, he threw his clothes back on – they were perfectly dry by then. Sesshoumaru's scent grew faint as he left rapidly, using whatever means he had to fly. InuYasha scowled, running through the forest to get back to Kaede's hut.

InuYasha snarled at himself for even feeling remotely grateful for the bucket of ice water that was Sesshoumaru.

But all that frustration, anger, and the twisted emotions that came along with Sesshoumaru counted for nothing when InuYasha entered the hut and lay eyes on Kagome. It all left him in a little sigh when he crossed the floor and knelt near her, just to look at her.

She was beautiful. She always had been.

His fingertips itched to just touch her, caress her smooth skin. It wasn't anything perverted, so he gave into the compulsion. He brushed a lock of her sable bangs away from her eyes, very gently. It almost felt like his heart would burst for how warm and full it felt. He just couldn't be done. He ran the back of his fingers across her cheek, stroked her cheekbone with his thumb. And still it wasn't enough for him. He smiled ruefully, wondering if it would be more satisfying when she was awake, or if he'd even get away with it.

When he sighed again, it was a calm, almost content sound. He found himself relaxing just being in Kagome's presence. In a way it was amusing, so he shook his head and smiled. Then he leaned down, his hand still on the young woman's face, and kissed her forehead where he'd moved her bangs.

Her hand came up to cover his, and oddly enough it didn't startle him, though he was surprised.

"InuYasha," she whispered, barely awake. "I'm sorry… for earlier. And about Hojo… he…"

"Don't worry about it," he growled soothingly.

"No," she protested, continuing to wake up. Her hold on his hand tightened. "You don't understand. I didn't do anything with him."

"I know," he said. She blinked, barely comprehending through her haze of sleep. "Go back to sleep, Kagome." She squeezed his hand again, a question in her eyes. He didn't fight the ghost of a smile that teased at his lips. "Move over."

Kagome's smile was more pronounced as she made room for him on the futon. He slid under the covers with her and made himself comfortable with his head pillowed on his free arm – Kagome still held his hand. She snuggled up to his chest, and protested minutely when he tried to recover his hand. When she let go, he draped it over her waist and curled around her. She seemed happy with the change, so she wiggled closer to him, lightly holding on to his haori. InuYasha chuckled to himself when she passed out again quickly.

He kissed her forehead again, and buried his nose in her hair so he could fully enjoy her scent. With Kagome's scent and warmth wrapped around him, even as he worried at Sesshoumaru's warning, it wasn't long before he fell asleep as well.

He slept better than he had in years. Better than he could ever remember.


	5. A Day of Gifts

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or the like. This story is for my own entertainment. (Well. You can be entertained by it too, I suppose.)

A/N: Keh. I'm going to forego the BAWWW story about my computer troubles and suddenly busy life. That's what I made the livejournal for. If you're interested, you'll find it. If not? Well, either way I just saved space here. :3

Also, I should add a little **warning**. Something in this chapter might squick you. Just depends on if you've ever watched "A Baby Story" or something like that.

~==*==~

**Because of Tomomi**

**Chapter Five**

**A Day of Gifts**

~==*==~

Usually, InuYasha woke with rather decent posture. As a rule, he slept with his back against something. It hadn't taken him long to figure out that no one was going to watch his back for him. When he was part of the group of misfits searching for the Shikon and fighting Naraku, he hadn't allowed himself the luxury of a dead sleep. There was too much to watch out for, too much danger. Even in the three years after Naraku's death and Kagome's absence, this rule endured. Even nights when his friends insisted he try and get a decent sleep indoors, he slept sitting, with his back to a wall. Sleeping on a flat surface always reminded him of being injured, and he _hated_ that.

So when he woke up one morning, horizontal, he was searching himself for wounds before his eyes could open. He could only check with one arm. _What was wrong with his other arm, he couldn't feel it, was it gone or_ -- his eyes opened. He found himself with a face full of Kagome. His adrenaline spiked again. A quick check of the scenery put him at Kaede's, with the old woman missing.

'_Still at that birthing…?_' he wondered. As his mind started working again, he turned to see why he couldn't feel his arm. It turned out Kagome was using it as a pillow. InuYasha swore under his breath. How was he going to disengage himself from the girl without waking her? He flicked his ears while he thought for a moment. He slid the covers off his body, carefully keeping Kagome cocooned in warmth. Holding his breath, he reached around Kagome with his free hand and gently, _gently_ lifted her head, just enough for him to escape. He fought the wince at the instant prickling feeling in his arm. Fighting his limp hand, he grabbed a second blanket not too far away, and piled it up under Kagome before laying her back down. He froze when she sighed, thinking she was awake, but when she smiled and nuzzled into the blanket, he allowed himself to breath -- _carefully_. Once he was sure he wouldn't wake the girl, he snatched up his sword and bolted.

Outside, he took a deep breath of cool air. He started down the road, he didn't know where to. He just needed to move. Aside from when he was a child with his mother, that was the first time he'd ever woken up next to another person -- let alone a _woman_. What was he thinking last night? He folded his arms into his sleeves as he walked, a scowl painted on his face. It seemed everything had gone south after Mitsu-ho or whatever had the brilliant idea of touching Kagome. As if InuYasha was going to stand for _that_! What was that fool thinking, coming onto a priestess? Almost as soon as he'd had the thought, InuYasha felt like ramming his head into a tree. What was _he_ thinking, doing the exact same thing? _Twice_!

Either way, the not-so-innocent shoulder rub had definitely started something between him and Kagome, but he was scared to push whatever it was. What if he took the wrong signal and drove her away from him forever? He'd only recently gotten her back, he didn't know if he could stand to lose her again, especially when she was within reach this time. She was too important to lose. He couldn't put a word to the feeling, mostly because there weren't words strong enough. At least… no words that he knew. Maybe he should talk to Miroku. He was always better with words. After all, how often had his quick talking (and conning) gotten their rag-tag group shelter during their travels? And how easy was it for him to get his wife to blush, even after being married for three years?

Still, InuYasha drifted further and further away from the village, not paying attention to where his feet took him, so long as they took him somewhere. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know what to think. Just what was going on inside him?

~*~

For a long while, Kagome lay still in her futon, piecing her dream together. Except she was sure it wasn't a dream, and that was why she was trying so hard to remember.

In the dream, she was outside, and it was snowing. The wind howled in her ears, whistled past the entrance of the small cave she'd taken refuge in. She felt so cold and miserably alone. She was curling in on herself and about set to cry, when she felt a warm presence in the same way she'd sensed the Shikon no Tama. She looked up, curious, and saw InuYasha crouched at the cave opening. He was a silhouette against the meek outside light. She tried to tell him something, but he hushed her. Told her it was okay, he knew. _What had she tried to tell him?_ When he hugged her and lay down beside her, she could have sworn that was real. She felt his warmth, his solid body. When she grasped his fire-rat robes, the texture wasn't at all dreamlike. She slid into his warmth and in the dream, slept beside him.

She remembered half-waking, thinking she was still dreaming, and noting that the blizzard had stopped before drifting away again. When she truly woke up, she was off to one side of her futon. She didn't remember bundling up blankets for a pillow. The thing that made her gasp, though, was that next to her, the blanket was warm, as if someone had slept next to her. That warmth lingered on her, as if someone had their arm around her all night. There was only one person that came to mind, but Kagome knew it was too good to be true. It just didn't seem like something InuYasha would do.

Suddenly her face flamed with blush and she pushed her face into the pillow blankets to hide her embarrassment. Sleeping next to her may not be something InuYasha seemed like he would do, but then she didn't think she seemed like she'd throw herself at InuYasha, either. _That_, though, had _definitely_ happened. Remembering yesterday, the feel of his fingers on her skin, the feel of his kiss, the feel of his body… she bit her lip, enjoying the memory a little too much.

How could she have been so forward? How could she have not cared about the possible consequences? What had gotten into her? She nibbled her lip while she changed behind a paper screen, still lost in thought. She wanted, _needed_ to know what'd gotten into her, but she was too lost in the sensory memory to think clearly. Every memory brought a fresh blush to her cheeks. Once in her miko robes, she went to Kaede's equivalent of a work bench, where there were bowls and jars and more of salves, herbs, and salt, as well as pre-written ofuda. Kagome tucked a few scrolls into the pockets in her sleeve and examined the bench to see what else she'd need.

When Kaede did purifications, she often used salt as well as the scrolls. Kaede needed the salt for its purification properties, but Kagome found she didn't need it. She still used more ofuda than Kaede, only because she had trouble channeling her spiritual powers. That power, though, continued to surprise both Kaede and Kagome. Both knew the young woman was powerful, but sometimes it was staggering just _how_ powerful she was. Kaede was sure that, once Kagome could focus her powers more acutely, she'd need stronger ofuda than Kaede used.

"Kagome-sama?" Kagome whirled around to face the speaker, a hand over her startled, fluttering heart. The man at the door held up his hands in apology, a small smile on his face. "Forgive me, I didn't mean to frighten you." Kagome shook her head, realizing she was facing Mitsuo, albeit a clean, better clothed Mitsuo. When he wasn't hunching over to protect his ribs, he was actually fairly tall. For the first time Kagome realized he was of noble birth, because he wore a white kosode under a richly patterned sea green hakama and kataginu that made his shoulders seem broader than they actually were. His black hair pulled into a topknot, he looked older and more severe.

"Mitsuo-san," she breathed. "How are you? Can I help you with anything?"

"No, no," he shook his head with a smile. "I'm actually here to help _you_."

"Oh--" Kagome started. She wondered with a sort of dread how he thought he could help her. She was about to ask just what he meant when he put a hand on her back and led her outside.

As usual, Mitsuo's giant white stallion, Aki, stood tethered to Kaede's garden fence. When he saw her, he tossed his head, sending his snowy mane flying. He whinnied, and there was an echo of the sound behind him. Mitsuo guided Kagome into the garden, in front of the horse -- two horses. Kagome was getting used to the large, buff, intimidating horse with the withering stare, but the grey horse next to him was new. He was smaller, obviously younger than his white counterpart. Kagome was captivated by him, though. His deep brown eyes were separated by a white diamond on his forehead, white continuing to break up his grey body, except for his tail and mane, which were mixes of black and brown.

She caught herself staring at the horse, and remembered the time she stared at InuYasha, pinned to the Goshinboku. She remembered the texture of his fuzzy ears, his surprisingly silky hair. She also remembered petting his ears while he held her close, their lips sealed over warring tongues, remembered his hands on her body. She grit her teeth, feeling warmth creep into her face.

Kagome didn't have to look at him to know that Mitsuo was smiling. "His name is Taashii," he said, gesturing to the beautiful grey horse. Kagome gently shrugged his hand off her shoulder while he spoke. "He's not been trained too much, but with a little patience, he'll be a suitable horse for a lady to ride. And then you can stop relying on InuYasha-sama." Kagome thought she heard a sneer in his voice, but his polite smile made her think it was more likely she imagined it.

"Mitsuo-san, I can't possibly--" she started.

"Nonsense," he interrupted, untying Aki. "If you cannot accept my gift as a woman, then accept it as a miko, and make good use of him in your duties. I only ask that you might think of me when you ride him." He leapt astride Aki the Giant and put his hand over his heart before waving goodbye. "Farewell, Kagome-sama."

The young woman was too stunned to even watch him ride down the road. At length, she blinked and looked to Taashii. He flicked his tail, watching her warily. "Um," Kagome mumbled. She reached out to touch his nose, but hesitated before she touched him. Taashii bumped his forehead into her hand. A little surprised, she pet his snout.

"Kagome!" a small voice shouted. The young woman in question turned to look down the road, where Shippo was hauling tail to get to her. He jumped onto the corner post of Kaede's garden fence. "Kagome!" he panted again. "Kaede-baa… Kaede… baby… linen and… bucket…" the poor fox tried to relay Kaede's message and regain his breath at the same time. Kagome swept him into her arms and rushed inside the hut, her mind solely on what Kaede needed. Shippo climbed to her shoulder and clung there weakly while Kagome bundled up linens and grabbed the spare bucket by the door. Exiting the hut again, Taashii whinnied and stomped a foot.

"Tie the stuff to his back," Shippo directed. He sat on the fence again while she did so as best she could.

"What else does Kaede need?" Kagome demanded urgently.

"A bow -- the ceremonial one, two rosaries, and the bamboo knife." Determined to make it the last trip inside, Kagome tossed the bow over her head and across her shoulder, wound the two rosaries around her wrist, and picked up the bamboo knife. She tucked that into the bundle tied to Taashii's back. Shippo had already untied the horse, and handed Kagome the reins. She hesitated.

"I don't know how to ride a horse," Kagome said. Shippo bounced to her shoulder.

"He'll follow at whatever speed you go, but we need to _go!_"

Without another word, Kagome broke into a flat run, and to her mild surprise, Taashii easily kept pace with her without her having to tug on the reins. Shippo guided her down the most direct path to Kaede, and dropped from her shoulder when they arrived. Shippo took the reins from her and easily tied Taashii to a post that supported the awning of the house. Kagome untied the things from Taashii's back and peeked inside. "Hello?" she called out.

"Kagome-sama," a man greeted her, beckoning her inside. He was Nakama Junsuke, the father. She bowed as she entered, and handed him the ceremonial bow. He seemed a little confused.

"Make yourself comfortable and pluck the string," she directed, remembering what Kaede told her. "It will deter evil spirits and attract the attention of the gods." Junsuke nodded, delighted in having a purpose. Kagome didn't spare him another thought as she stepped into the back room where Nakama Haruko and Kaede were. Two women, obviously years younger than Kagome, knelt on either side of Haruko, supporting her while she squatted. Kaede looked up when Kagome entered. She looked immensely relieved.

"Kagome-chan," she said her name as if that itself were praise. Kagome stepped further into the room. There were white cloths spread out under Haruko. The cloth directly under her seemed layered, padded with more cloth. A third girl ran into the room, carrying a bucket of water that gently wafted steam. "Ao-chan," Kaede called out, "We have a second bucket now, please fill it." Ao nodded and took the bucket from Kagome before darting out of the room again. Kagome winced. She looked young, and pale.

"What do you need me to do?" Kagome asked. Kaede was preparing herbs in a small brazier, readying them to burn.

"Observe and pray, child," Kaede directed. She beckoned her closer before continuing. "This birth is not going well, and it is beyond me as to why. Hand me a rosary -- thank you. You remember the prayers I taught you?" Kagome nodded. "Good. I may ask more of you as the time comes." Kaede lifted the brazier and set it more in the center of the room, toward Haruko, who until now had been silent. Now she let out half-strangled cries. Kaede reached into the bundle Kagome brought and pulled out a small cloth. She held it near Haruko's mouth. "Bite down on this, Haruko-san," she said. Haruko did as she was told. Her cries were quieter with the gag.

Kagome settled herself not too far from the women, arranging the rosary around both hands and beginning to pray aloud, willing the birth to go well.

Kaede wiped Haruko's face with a small cloth dampened in the hot water, then draped it over the back of the woman's neck. She started preparing a larger cloth when Haruko gave a particularly loud shout. Kaede was by her in an instant, managing to keep the large cloth in hand.

"It's alright, Haruko-san," Kaede crooned, wiping her brow again. "Just push."

Haruko groaned around the cloth she was biting, and Kaede draped the large cloth over both of her own hands, holding ready between Haruko's legs. Kagome couldn't help but be mildly embarrassed, realizing how the woman unintentionally displayed herself, even clothed in a pattern-less yellow yukata, paled with age. Haruko's face turned red when she pushed, and her hands shook on the two assisting women's shoulders. One of the women whispered into Haruko's ear, but Kagome wasn't close enough to tell what she said.

"Breathe," Kaede reminded the almost-there mother. Haruko stopped pushing to catch her breath, then took another breath to push again. Kagome didn't know how long it continued for, but finally Kaede made a startled sound. The two women beside Haruko wore expressions of shock and dismay, but Haruko herself was too tired to notice the sound. "Stop. Stop!" Kaede commanded. She whipped the white cloth behind her, dunked another cloth in the hot, but cooling, water. She scrubbed briefly at one hand.

"Kaede… -sama?" Haruko panted, dropping the cloth from her mouth.

"You will not enjoy this, Haruko-san," Kaede said, voice grave. "Your child is coming foot-first." Haruko screwed her eyes shut and whimpered, knowing what it meant. She gave a slight nod, and Kaede pushed the baby back, her hand going inside the woman.

Kagome shut her eyes as well, feeling a little queasy. She was supposed to do this on her own one day? She continued praying with her eyes closed, putting her strength into it. She tried to will the baby into cooperating, though she didn't dare wonder if it would work. She distantly heard Ao run in and out again, Kaede's encouragement to Haruko, and the two women whispering comfort to the mother. It was all Kagome could do not to pass out, focusing on her prayers so hard.

'_Whatever kami is listening, please let this end well,_' she silently prayed, continuing her chant. '_Please guide Haruko through her pain._'

At length, a tiny cry broke her concentration. She opened her eyes to see Kaede cut the umbilical cord with the bamboo knife.

"Kagome-chan," she called. When Kagome was at her side, she handed her the baby to wipe clean while she tended to the mother.

The baby cried in her arms, his tiny fists shaking with the strength of his voice. He opened his toothless mouth as wide as he could, face scrunched up in fury. Kagome supposed she'd be angry too if she was warm for nine months, then suddenly out in the cold world. She carefully wiped the child clean of fluids she didn't want to think about, and handed the poor thing to his mother, now comfortably laying on her back. Haruko looked so exhausted, but the joy and relief glittered through the fatigue in her eyes. The baby's wailing dimmed, marginally comforted by his mother.

When Kagome looked around again, she noted that the room had been cleared of the bloody white cloths, and all the clean ones were folded neatly into the bundle Kagome originally brought over.

"Take Ao and her aunts to be purified," Kaede directed, cleaning up the burnt herbs. "I shall stay here another three days to direct the newborn's rituals. You don't have to take anything back home today. I'll send for you when it's time to return."

"Alright," Kagome agreed with a nod. She stood, and looked to the two women and one child that sat around Haruko.

"Go," Kaede waved them off. Reluctantly, they left their new relative and followed Kagome. Before leaving, Kagome tied a sprig of willow to the doorframe of the room Haruko and Kaede occupied, signaling it taboo to enter.

"Kagome!" Shippo smiled.

"Shippo-chan," the young miko blinked. "I didn't expect you to wait for me…"

"I wanted to," he grinned. "Either way, I'd be waiting for lunch." Kagome had to chuckle at his hint.

"Do you think you could take Taashii home for me?" she asked. Shippo nodded easily. "Would you please do that for me? After the purification rites, I'll be home." With a dutiful nod, Shippo untied the horse and started on his way home, waving over his shoulder. Taashii seemed to roll his eyes, but obediently followed the little youkai.

The walk to the river was awkward at best. Kagome realized she hadn't been the most sociable person in the village before, and now she had no idea where to start.

"I'm sorry," she started, half turning around while she led the three. "I'm afraid I don't know your names."

"I'm Ao-chan!" the little girl chirped, raising a hand. With the ice broken, she was a sunny little thing. She hurried forward a few steps and took Kagome's hand. She twisted to point at first the woman to the right, then the left. "And this is Miwa-oba-chan and Rika-oba-chan." Ao's aunts seemed a little flustered, but bowed awkwardly while they walked. They were obviously sisters, with similar faces, but Miwa seemed a little younger, and Rika was a full head taller than her. They both wore simple kosode, Miwa in light blue and Rika in pale red, and mo-bakama, skirts tied around their waists in green and orange, respectively. Kagome made a moving attempt to bow as well.

With Ao chattering incessantly from then on out, the mood was considerably less tense. Miwa and Rika joined in the conversation, tentatively at first, and then with fervor. Before long, they were all relaxed and telling each other stories. All three listened in rapt attention when Kagome told a few stories about her travels with InuYasha, though she toned down the violence. At the river, Kagome performed the purification rites by standing in the moving water with one woman at a time, reciting a prayer, and pouring water over their shoulders, then touching their forehead. They complied without question, and it made Kagome feel rather good that they seemed to respect her power as a priestess. They walked back to the village with their clothes soaked up to their knees, except for Ao, since her robes fell to just about mid-thigh. She skipped happily ahead of the others, and rounded a blind corner before them.

When she screamed, the three women ran after her. Kagome reached her first, and gave a quick shout of her own. Ao was face-down on the path, apparently unconscious. A black shape stood over her, but Kagome couldn't discern what it was before she felt a wave of exhaustion. She fought to keep her eyes open, to stay conscious, but she fell just as Ao had. The last thing she heard was two more bodies falling just behind her.


	6. Insult Plus Injury

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or the like. This story is for my own entertainment. (Well. You can be entertained by it too, I suppose.)

A/N: Holy god, a Destined Awards nomination? o_O You guys have no idea how stoked I am just to be nominated ALONGSIDE THESE PEOPLE. Characters from _Shades of Gray_ and _Metamorphosis_?? I can die happy even if I don't win. (Because c'mon, HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN THOSE CHARACTERS?) SRSLY. I saw the nominations and was like o______________o

_Banjin_, from what I understand, essentially means foreigner.

~==*==~

**Because of Tomomi**

**Chapter Six**

**Insult Plus Injury**

~==*==~

InuYasha spent half the day wandering aimlessly, trying to understand himself. When he finally came back to Kaede's, Kagome wasn't there. Scenting the air, he knew she hadn't been gone too long, and it was Shippo who came to get her. More than likely, she was assisting Kaede with the Nakama baby. He scowled. He also smelled Mitsuo and his horse. Except there was a second horse, and it'd left with Kagome and Shippo. Had Mitsuo gone with them? Not likely. The Nakamas weren't likely to allow anyone inside with the woman in labor. Bad luck and all that bullshit.

Shoving the thought from his mind, he continued down the road into the center of the village. He couldn't go to Kagome. If the parents wouldn't let a human into the house, there was no way they'd welcome a hanyou. They tolerated Shippo because he was Kaede's messenger, and stayed outside. So, aimless again, he wove through the village, taking less-traveled roads, checking out alleyways. He was near the more run-down residences when he caught the scent of blood. It was new, but familiar, and human. He could feel a low growl vibrating in his chest, but he didn't think much of it. He stalked the source of the scent.

Two children and three older boys stood around a crumpled figure on the ground. A few of them had sturdy sticks in their hands. While InuYasha was momentarily paralyzed by his anger, one of the older boys lifted the figure by the front of her kimono.

"What's the matter, _banjin_," one of them jeered. "How many times have we helped you up now? Why do you keep falling down?"

"Are you too stupid to stand, _banjin_?" another laughed.

"Why don't you go home, _banjin_?"

"Stupid crazy _banjin _can't even walk!"

Suddenly rage was an understatement. Just as a boy was about to backhand the girl, InuYasha stood over him, and picked him up in the same manner he'd lifted the girl. Terror filled the boy's face. It occurred to InuYasha that the stocky teenager had never been lifted a foot off the ground before. Who could lift him? It gave InuYasha a twisted satisfaction.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" InuYasha roared. He addressed all five kids, glaring as if his gaze could set them on fire. Oh, how he wanted to. He shook the one he held in the air. "Do you think this is a game? Is this funny to you?" One of the kids tried to run, but InuYasha cut him off. The stocky one fell to his hands and knees, his legs too shaky to hold him. InuYasha tossed the runner back into the huddle of bullies.

For a moment InuYasha only saw the faces of his own tormentors, the ones that picked on him because he was smaller, weaker, different, hanyou. They just had to assert their own power over whatever they didn't understand. Humiliate him because he was different.

"_Fetch, puppy-boy, fetch the stick!"_

"_Look, he's crying! What're you gonna do, puppy-boy, bark at us?"_

"_Bad puppy! You should be grateful we play with you at all, you stupid freak!"_

"_No one wants you here, get lost!"_

"_Puppy-boy, puppy-boy! Noble's pet, puppy-boy!"_

"_I'll bet he isn't even house trained!"_

"_Puppy-boy!"_

InuYasha realized he was full-out snarling at the bullies standing before him. Each of them trembled, terrified. One had even wet his pants. The girl looked at him as well, her face swelling with bruises already. With effort, InuYasha composed himself.

"Get the fuck out of here," he demanded, his voice promising violence in exchange for disobedience. "If you or any one of your friends lay a hand on her again, I'll show you a true goddamn beating, and you will _not_ be on the delivering side." It took supreme willpower to keep his fists at his sides while the bullies ran past him and out of the alley. He strode to the girl in a dangerous calm, but there was a hint of fear in him. She'd seen him well and truly angry now. She'd seen just how much of a youkai he was. Was she scared? Would she run, too? He grit his teeth, offering the girl his hand.

She looked at his hand, his claws specifically, and for a moment he thought his fears were about to be realized. She looked to his face, confused for a moment, then smiled at him and took his hand. He helped her to her feet, but she didn't release his hand. He scowled, touching her purposely dirt-smeared hair. She hardly looked blond at all.

"Can you walk?" he asked her. He eyed one of her knees under the hem of her short kimono. It was red and swollen and he knew it couldn't feel very good. Still, she smiled at him. She giggled. He frowned.

"Youkaaaaaai!" she laughed, throwing herself at him. She hung from his neck, behind which she locked her arms, and he supported her with his arms at her waist. "Inu saved Tomo-chan!"

It took him a moment to realize she was hugging him. She patted the back of his head. "Inu scares bullies, but doesn't scare Tomo. Tomo isn't afraid of her friends."

InuYasha clenched his jaw, trying to fight his emotions. He hugged Tomomi back in earnest. He knew that Kagome, Miroku and the others were his friends. He _knew_ that. So why did Tomomi, saying it out loud, mean so much to him?

Once he had himself under control again, InuYasha carried Tomomi to Sango's place. Sango took one look at the girl on his back and abandoned her laundry.

"What happened?" she demanded, tenderly examining Tomomi's face.

InuYasha muttered, "Bullies." Sango's eyes became icy, angry. "I already took care of them," he said. Her expression defrosted a little, but she was still angry. "Where are the kids?"

"Miroku is watching them inside. Just a moment." She slipped into the house, then returned with a small bucket and her bathing supplies. "Come with me," she directed.

"Where are we going?" Tomomi asked.

Sango smiled at the girl. "To get you cleaned up."

Tomomi wasn't all too happy about the prospect of a bath, but she did as she was told when Sango ordered her to strip. InuYasha handed Tomomi over to Sango before turning around, within reach if his help was needed but far enough away to give the two privacy. Sango put her under the short waterfall at the head of the river. When she was sufficiently wet, she sat on a rock in front of the place Sango sat on the bank. Sango scowled when she saw the groups of bruises that a kimono concealed. They were already purple and yellow. She suspected they'd be worse tomorrow. When she started scrubbing at Tomomi's hair, the girl didn't make a sound, but her expression was an amusing mix of pout and scowl. Not one of them was happy about how many times Tomomi's hair needed washing before it began to resemble its natural color. By the time she was clean, Tomomi was audibly protesting, but not fighting. Sango toweled her dry, then spread the towel on the ground and made the young woman sit on it while she examined her injuries.

There was surprisingly little blood. What had made InuYasha think there was more? Tomomi had a split lip, and her cheek was still swollen, but it hadn't stopped her from smiling until they got to the river. There were serious cuts and scrapes on her hands and knees, presumably from when the bullies had pushed her down. Repeatedly, by the look of it. There were other bruises on her arms and legs, and the skin had also split there under the force of the blows. The cold water reduced the swelling in her badly injured knee, but it still looked horrible. Sango was willing to bet she'd walk with a limp for a week or more. If she could walk on that leg at all.

"I know the salves Kaede uses to reduce swelling," Sango announced, helping Tomomi into the yukata from her bathing supplies. The younger girl wobbled on her bad knee, but couldn't be caught to be carried again. Her limp was obvious, and halfway through the trek back to the village, she fell. InuYasha didn't give her a chance to protest before he flipped her over her shoulder. She squealed and struggled momentarily, but soon the hilarity of "Tomo-tatoes" caught up with her and she forgot she was angry. Aside from her giggling, the walk was quiet.

Shippo was tying a horse to the fence of Kaede's garden when they got back.

"Shippo…?" InuYasha asked, eying the horse.

The kitsune gave a smile that was somehow confused and apologetic at the same time. "Mitsuo gave him to Kagome." InuYasha glared at the horse as if it was somehow the animal's fault. It flipped its mane and whinnied, nonplussed by the hanyou. "His name is Taashii," Shippo announced. InuYasha only replied with a grunt before entering the hut.

Kagome was still gone. He sat Tomomi down near the fire pit -- where no fire burned. Kagome hadn't been back all day. The sun was already starting to set. Sango started rummaging through Kaede's medicines and herbs, a handful of linen bandages draped over her arm. InuYasha arranged Tomomi's clothing so that her knee was exposed, but her modesty was maintained. Though Tomomi made it obvious throughout the days he'd known her that she paid absolutely no mind to her modesty, it made InuYasha feel better to pretend she was a normal girl with a normal sense of self.

"Kagome's gone to purify a few girls that helped with the Nakama baby," Shippo announced, entering the hut. "She said once she was done she'd come home and make dinner."

"Mm," InuYasha replied. Something about it didn't set well with him, but he couldn't put his finger on the reason. He tried to ignore the feeling while he helped Sango apply salves and bandages to Tomomi's wounds. They applied whatever it was Kaede used to prevent infections and reduce bleeding, as well as the stuff that helped reduce swelling. InuYasha didn't ask too many questions, but he figured Sango knew what was in the concoctions.

Sango wound bandages over Tomomi's hands and up to her elbows, telling the girl repeatedly how important it was for her to keep the bandages on. InuYasha and Shippo stepped outside when she had to start applying the swelling mixture to Tomomi's abdomen.

"How long does it usually take to purify someone?" InuYasha asked. Shippo shrugged.

"I don't know," he admitted, "but I didn't think it'd take this long. She's been gone almost two hours now."

After sitting for a while, InuYasha scowled and glared at the nearly-dark sky, then stormed back into the hut to sit in a far corner with his sword leaning against his shoulder. Wherever Kagome was, he'd just have to trust that she would be home soon. There wasn't much he could do. Sounds became muffled while his claws retracted, smoothing out into human fingernails. He wrinkled his nose when he couldn't smell anything past the faint scent of Kaede's herbs. He watched his hair turn black, but it became difficult as his vision dimmed.

'_Fuck the new moon,_' InuYasha thought. '_Fuck it bad._'

"Inu?" The bandaged girl sat in front of him, legs straight out. InuYasha smiled ruefully. In the midst of his transformation, he'd forgotten about her. God, he was such a self-centered, self-pitying asshole. Each calf was bandaged now, as well as her one bad knee. Half her face was shiny with the salve for swelling. "Is it still Inu?"

"Still Inu," he replied, resigned. Still stubborn, still dense, still an outsider, even on moonless nights. Tomomi moved to sit beside him, examining his black hair. She patted his head where his ears normally were, then found his human ears. InuYasha saw Sango open her mouth to say something, but before she could get a word out, a little girl burst into the hut, crying her eyes out.

"InuYasha-sama!" she shouted. "I need to speak to InuYasha-sama! Kagome... Kagome-sama…!"

InuYasha was on his feet in an instant. "What about Kagome?" he demanded.

The little girl strained to look at him through her overflowing tears. "Kagome-sama is gone. A youkai… there was a youkai… He put me to sleep and my aunts and Kagome-sama…!" As the child dissolved into sobs that wracked her entire body, InuYasha swore violently.

How in all the hell had he forgotten about the youkai that was taking young women? Sesshoumaru had warned him just the night before! He was such an _idiot_!

"Where?" he barked. The girl continued crying. "_Where was she taken from?_"

"P-purifying… on the way back…" she broke down again, crying into Sango's shoulder. InuYasha stormed out of the house, skewing the bamboo mat that served as a door. Curse his slow human legs. He couldn't run fast enough. He went directly to the trail that led to the lake, and began scouring it for any sign of a youkai. He'd traced the path three times over when Tomomi stumbled into him.

"Go home!" he shouted at her. She flinched at the rage in his voice, but didn't turn back. "Get the fuck out of here! It's not safe! Go home before I beat the shit out of you for being in my way!"

"Tomo won't be in the way," she protested quietly, but resolutely. "Tomo wants to help."

"You can't!" he snarled. "I can't tell where they disappeared from, let alone where they went! What could you _possibly _do to help me?"

She met his glare fearlessly. "Use Tomo as bait," she said. The shock of her statement was enough to get InuYasha to quiet down for a moment, long enough for her to continue. "Tomo will wait by the river. Youkai takes Tomo, leaves a scent for Inu to follow. Tomo protects Miko-chan until Inu comes."

"Tomomi, you can't!" InuYasha choked out. If he was physically fit and stood a fraction of a chance against whatever youkai that'd taken Kagome, how in the hell did this little banged-up psycho figure she'd protect _anyone_ until morning?

"I can!" she argued, balling her hands into fists.

"No!" InuYasha roared at the top of his lungs. Tomomi looked as if she'd been struck. Her lips quivered for a second, and he thought she was going to cry, but then she spun around and started walking off.

"Fine!" she snapped back at him. "If you won't help Miko-chan tonight, I'll find someone who _will_!"

"Tomomi… Tomomi!" InuYasha chased the quickly limping girl back to the village and through the forest again, down a path he hadn't bothered to explore before. It wasn't exactly part of his forest, and it led away from the village, besides. It only occurred to him after they'd left the village again that he should have paid more attention to who was awake and outside. Who knew how many villagers knew of his human night now? He suppressed the thought with a wince, continuing to harass Tomomi into going back home, waiting until morning when they could actually do something.

They came upon a sprawling mansion, barricaded off by a waist-high wooden fence. The gate stood at least as tall as InuYasha, if not a little more. Tomomi pushed through it. It had to have been unlocked.

"What the hell are you doing?" InuYasha demanded, still trying to get Tomomi to turn back. He was afraid to touch her, for all her bruises.

Tomomi strode straight up the front steps and threw the shoji doors open. Two servants froze in the hallway, surprised by her intrusion.

"I want to speak to your lord," Tomomi demanded. He had to hand it to her; she managed to sound like she wasn't out of breath. The two servants scurried away, tittering about "banjin" and "strange men." InuYasha ignored them as best he could. They returned with three large men, who had obviously been pulled out of bed. They glared daggers at the two standing in the doorway, but Tomomi only repeated herself. "I want to speak to your lord."

When the three men started trying to usher the two of them outside, InuYasha did the best he could to keep their hands off of Tomomi. He didn't miss the barely suppressed sneers on their faces when they set eyes on her hair. He tried to brush away their hands, keep them from shoving them altogether out the door. It quickly turned into a grappling match, all the while Tomomi yelled.

"I want to speak to your lord! Mitsuo! I want to speak to Mitsuo!" The rude demand only enraged the three large men further, and they started throwing nasty remarks out, adding to the growing clamor in the hallway. There was shouting from one guard as he tried to grab Tomomi, who screamed louder, in pain as well as anger. The two other guards grunted in pain as InuYasha alternately threw them back and hit them. One of the first two female servants ran through the hall shouting for help while the other gasped and pressed herself to the edge of the hall.

InuYasha tried to shout over the noise, "Shut up! Shut up, Tomomi, let's just leave! Shut the fuck up and let's leave!"

Quite suddenly there came the crack of a whip that silenced everyone. The guards froze, turning to look further into the compound. InuYasha threw the one he was grappling with to the ground before observing the cause of the men's sudden cowardice.

Mitsuo stood in a white yukata, next to a woman wearing an orange kimono that faded to white at the shoulders. She held herself in such a way that demanded respect and attention, and if it got InuYasha and Tomomi out of the house in one piece, he was willing to give it. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, her bangs cut similarly to Sango's. An otherwise standard beauty was destroyed by a slash from her chin to brow on one side of her face. InuYasha determined it was probably from a whip. The one she wielded? Had someone else whipped her? He decided it wasn't important. Tomomi was making demands again.

The small girl shoved her way through the small crowd in the doorway to stand in front of Mitsuo. It amused InuYasha that the man flinched a little as if to protect his ribs. So she'd made a lasting impression. Good.

"Miko-chan got taken," Tomomi announced. "Help me find her."

Mitsuo was sputtering instantly. "What do you mean she-- are you sure--? Men! Ready my horse!" Suddenly the entire household seemed alive with action. Mitsuo was storming down another hall, Tomomi on his heels. InuYasha ground his teeth together as he chased after them.

"A youkai took her," Tomomi explained.

"From where?"

"A trail in the woods, leading to the river," she answered.

"How long has it been?"

"A few hours."

Mitsuo barked more orders from behind a changing screen, rallied his hunting party on his way to the stables. With the company assembled, he leapt astride Aki. Tomomi moved to follow him, but he made the horse step away.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

Tomomi glared at him. "I'm going to help."

He laughed at her. "You? Can you ride, girl? Are you fit to?"

"But there's a woman in your--"

"Silence!" Mitsuo interrupted. "Not only is Tatsuya an exemplary horse trainer, she's also a good hunter. I thank you for notifying me of Kagome-sama's peril, but now you must be gone. I shall send word when the lady has been rescued." His attention turned to InuYasha, who'd been silent in the man's presence until now. "You wear the same uniform as InuYasha. Do tell the youkai that his priestess is being taken care of."

Before either Tomomi or InuYasha could speak around their outrage, Mitsuo rode off with his rescue party at full-speed. The two of them were left to cough on the dust the horses kicked up on their way out of the corral. InuYasha focused on breathing before he tried to talk.

"So," he growled out. "Are you ready to wait until morning now?"


	7. The Night

**Disclaimer:** I do not own InuYasha or the like. This story is for my own entertainment. (Well. You can be entertained by it too, I suppose.)

**A/N:** There was a point when Kitsune and I were obsessed with Yu-Gi-Oh!. Since she and I were inseparable, we determined she was the "hikari" of the relationship, and I was the "yami." See… Naraku wasn't really evil. …I, however, am.

Ojiki: Uncle (formal, rarely used)

**~==*==~**

**Because of Tomomi**

**Chapter Seven**

**The Night**

**~==*==~**

Kagome sat perfectly still, her spine ramrod straight. Her two companion captives cried behind her, clinging to each other. Miwa and Rika were beside themselves with fear. Minutes after being purified, they'd witnessed a dark figure crouch over their young niece, then lost consciousness and woke up in the presence of a youkai tearing at their miko's clothes. It didn't matter that Kagome had fought him off and sent him flying across the yawning cavern. It didn't matter that the creature had crashed against Kagome's barriers and been momentarily stunned. It didn't matter that it'd been hours and the youkai hadn't touched them. The damage was done. They didn't know if the youkai had eaten Ao or let her live. The youkai managed to lay a hand on a miko, intent on ravaging her. Kagome made herself strong for the women, as she was the only thing between them and an angry youkai that would surely ravage them, but not before they had to watch him defile Kagome.

Of all the things for Kagome to be thinking about the attempted rape that left her clothes hanging, torn, off one shoulder and leaving her front mostly exposed, she figured it was her fault. Her fumbling attempt to seduce InuYasha, even as out of her head as she'd been, had obviously made her a beacon for sexual predators. Did something in her scent scream, "here, look at me, I'm trying to be sexually active!"? Kagome knew it was an irrational and incorrect thought, but she couldn't shake it off. The delusion clung to her like the scent of smoke.

From behind her, the two women couldn't see the tears that fell silently down Kagome's face. The youkai could see, though, and he loved it. This confusing, evil thing with both fur and feathers saw her tears and grinned, his lips stretching over his delicate fangs. What was he? His entire body was covered with short black fur that swallowed any shadows. The hair on his head flowed down his back, starting out blue, ending green, and shimmering, but floating. Kagome was sure his hair was made of feathers. The youkai wore hakama that tied at the ankles like InuYasha's, but the slits on the side weren't as long, and the sash he tied them with was longer, made of black silk that seemed like ink against the white hakama. He was bare from the waist up, almost overly muscular. His eyes glittered like red jewels, seemingly lit from within.

Seeing her tears, the youkai made himself comfortable by the small fire that burned outside Kagome's barrier and watched. Evident by the smirk on his face, he seemed confident that Kagome would weaken, and he would have her. But even through her tears, Kagome was strong. InuYasha would come for her. He always did, whether or not she deserved rescuing. All she had to do was last until daybreak, when InuYasha recovered from the effects of the new moon. But with the cave being so long and twisted, there was no glimpse of outside to see how close dawn was. Kagome steeled herself, fighting against her emotions.

It was going to be a long night.

**~*~**

The village was quiet, several hours past nightfall. Ryouta trudged wearily through the village, step for step with his uncle, Sugoroku. Sugoroku, starting to stoop with age, carried his fishing net over one shoulder. Ryouta took the heavier burden of the large basket of fish, which he strapped over his shoulders.

"Ryouta," his uncle hesitated, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Ojiki?" Ryouta frowned.

"Your sister," Sugoroku continued, "how is she doing?"

The young man nearly bit his tongue. Focusing on the ground he passed over, his thoughts raced. What was he supposed to say? It wasn't like the girl was around very much, always spending her time with InuYasha and Kagome. It wasn't like he'd ever really spent much time with his sister, but now that he had the opportunity, he thought he'd be able to get to know her better. It was made painfully obvious to him that she wouldn't cooperate, as she'd run off the very day they'd moved to the village. Three days later, it was InuYasha that threw Ryouta into the crowd Tomomi had latched onto. Ryouta thought it would be a one-time thing, her bothering the mikos and hanyou, but two weeks later, she was still seeing them on a nearly daily basis. They'd seen more of his estranged sister than he had, and they shared the same roof.

Sugoroku sighed when Ryouta didn't answer. "I see," he said. Ryouta flinched inside, feeling judgment passed on him as his sister's guardian. "I'm sorry," he continued. "Your aunt and I haven't been of too much help since you two came here."

"N-no," Ryouta sputtered, tripping over his words. "It's thanks to you that we are able to live as well as we do, that we live at all!" He was silenced when his uncle waved a hand and smiled.

"And yet I'm the one abusing your generosity, having you repair my nets, helping me fish," he gestured to the deep basket on Ryouta's back. "Making you do all the heavy lifting." Ryouta flushed and opened his mouth to protest, but Sugoroku continued without giving him a chance. "I've left you nearly no time to concentrate on what you came here for; Tomomi."

Ryouta's tongue felt like sand in his mouth. His uncle granted him a respite from fishing so he could spend time with Tomomi, but the young man feared it wouldn't do any good. It took two to communicate, and while Ryouta was hardly home any more, neither was Tomomi. The rest of the conversation floated above Ryouta's head as they made their way home. Ryouta carried the fish into his uncle's house, where the aging man and his wife would preserve the fish in several ways, distribute some to the village, and store a good portion away to take to market in one of the cities.

After bidding his family goodnight, Ryouta continued through the village to the second hut his uncle owned. It reeked of fish, as Sugoroku has previously used it for gutting and preserving his fish, but Ryouta never complained, especially since his uncle had taken the tools into his own home. Sometimes he caught Tomomi wrinkling her nose where the scent lingered strongest, but other than that he hadn't heard a thing from her.

When he got home, he found it empty. He knew he shouldn't be surprised, but he was somehow hurt that she was missing again. Without lingering, he turned away from the little house and started for Kaede's. It wasn't a long walk, and he was there before he knew it. He was either tired enough to forget the walk, or so zoned out that he hadn't even noticed it.

"Pardon me," he said, peeking inside the miko's hut. The only familiar person in the building was Shippo, who he'd seen with Kagome and InuYasha on a number of occasions, but he was asleep. A man only a few years older than Ryouta paced furiously just inside the doorway. He'd nearly run Ryouta over as the young man walked through the door. Before Ryouta could apologize, the man turned around again and continued his pacing. He nearly slapped Ryouta in the face with his long hair, but he flinched away from the black mass.

"Ryouta-san," a young woman greeted him. She sat next to the fire, absently feeding it. Her hair was pulled up into a handkerchief and tied behind where her bangs started to fall to her eyebrows. She left the short locks of hair in front of her ears loose of the bandana as well. Her eyes were lined with red-pink pigment, but there were dark circles forming under her eyes that marked her exhaustion and marred her beauty. Ryouta hesitated at being addressed by the woman he didn't recognize, but he bowed politely. She noticed his confusion, and like his uncle, she spoke before he could. "I'm Sango," she said, standing and bowing to match him. "I'm a friend of Kagome and InuYasha. Please." She gestured for him to sit by the fire with her. In his confusion, he took a step to do just that, but then hesitated.

"My sister," he said. "She's usually around InuYasha-sama, and I was wondering…"

Sango nodded. "She's…" she hesitated, but glanced to one of the sleeping pallets by the far wall. There were blankets piled enough that from the doorway he couldn't have seen the sleeper's face or head, but from next to the fire pit, he could see blond hair.

"Tomo-chan," he breathed. He went to kneel next to her, but he was struck by a lash of anger upon seeing her face. Her lip was split and scabbed, and her eye was in the beginning stages of turning black. She was curled up on her side, and one hand peeked out from under the blankets, wrapped in bandages that smelled faintly of herbs. He flicked an angry glance to Sango. "What happened to her?" he demanded, his voice uncharacteristically gruff.

"Ryou-nii?" Ryouta looked at the girl sitting up, pushing the blankets away. Ryouta could have screamed, seeing that the bandages went past her elbows and the similar bandages that covered one calf and the entire other leg halfway up her thigh. One knee was swollen. He'd never felt such a horrible wash of emotion. Livid, he glared at Sango again, who looked guilty and glanced to the man in red that'd been just as angry as Ryouta the entire time.

"Bullies," the pacing man growled. Ryouta frowned. The man's voice was barely deeper than InuYasha's.

"What?"

"That's what happened," the man said, lips curling back from his teeth in a snarl. He never stopped moving.

"Inu-inu saved me," Tomomi grinned at her brother. It broke Ryouta's heart. His sister had such an odd faith in the hanyou, yet it was so iron-clad, and Ryouta couldn't help but be envious. How had InuYasha managed to earn so much of his odd sister's respect? How could Ryouta do it?

"Where is InuYasha?" Ryouta asked Sango. The woman hesitated to open her mouth, and in that second the other man answered for her.

"He'll be back by morning," he said. Tomomi giggled, earning her a glare from the man. Tomomi fell silent, but there was still laughter in her eyes, and she pressed her fingertips to her lips as if to keep it in.

"What is he doing staying out all night for?" Ryouta demanded. It seemed to make the man in red angrier. "And where is Kagome-sama?" No one answered. Tomomi bit her lip, stretching the scab almost until it ripped open. "With Kaede gone, is Kagome so quick to shirk her duties as a miko? Does she think it's okay to go gallivanting off with InuYasha for a night of--"

"**Quiet**!" the man raged at Ryouta. "You don't know _anything_ about what's going on!" The man's eyes were clear lavender in his fury, angry tears threatening to spill onto his cheeks.

"Of course not," Ryouta sneered. He took Tomomi's hand and helped her to her feet. "Come on, Tomo-chan. We're going home."

"No!" Tomomi cried, dismayed, but Ryouta had led her nearly to the door. She desperately grabbed the wide sleeve of the man that shook with anger. "Don't make me leave," she begged the man. "Inu."

As angry as the man's glare had been when his sister giggled, his stare now was nearly murderous. Tomomi was almost in tears.

Ryouta felt like he'd been doused with a bucket of ice water. This man was InuYasha? This human? His head spun, and he fell roughly onto the raised wooden floor, his feet in the uncovered entryway.

"InuYasha?" Ryouta repeated, bewildered. The man in red -- which Ryouta had _foolishly _thought was what every man who assisted a miko wore -- turned around and flung himself on the ground, sitting against the wall and propping his sword against his shoulder. He closed his eyes as if he was trying to ignore them all.

"Ryou-nii," Tomomi said, sitting on her knees in front of him. She put her hands on his legs, willing him to understand. "Miko-chan is taken. Inu-inu needs to be youkai to help her. Inu-inu turns youkai at morning."

'_Dear gods_,' Ryouta moaned to himself. '_And I just insulted him and Kagome to his face_.' He felt like he was going to be sick, he felt so ashamed.

"I'm sorry," Ryouta babbled. He put his hand on his forehead. He felt pale. Did he look pale? Was this what it felt like to feel faint? "Gods, I… I was angry and… I didn't know. I didn't… I'm sorry."

"Shut up," InuYasha huffed.

**~*~**

"Shigeru-sama," Tatsuya said, calling the young lord's attention. "The horses are starting to get uneasy."

"I know," Mitsuo said through gritted teeth. "Still, we press on. Kagome-sama needs us."

Tatsuya cursed under her breath, urging her mare along. She understood that her master cared for the miko, but Tatsuya, who had never met the woman in person, was beginning to dislike her intensely. Not only was the woman stringing her master along, but she associated with youkai, and worse. She seemed especially close to a _hanyou_. What kind of behavior was that for any woman, let alone a miko?

She pushed the thoughts away. Her lord had given her an order to find the miko, and she intended to do just that.

Suddenly Lord Shigeru reared his horse. Tatsuya followed suit, and the action quickly spread through the ranks behind them. Before she could open her mouth to ask what the problem was, she saw the answer to her question. On the path before them was a creature that looked like a rabbit, except it had four large feathers three times the length of the rabbit on its head instead of ears, and its fluffy tail was about as big as its body. It stood on two legs, which were certainly not the legs of a rabbit. They looked vaguely human, except they were too straight, with no muscular definition. Was it a trick of its fur? It stared through all of them with beady red eyes, then lowered to all fours. Its fur bristled, the feathers on its head standing straight up.

It let out the most ear-piercing, terrifying cross between a scream and a screech that Tatsuya had ever heard. In fear, the horses reared. The more inexperienced riders fell, and the freed horses turned to run away. Tatsuya's mare danced in place, turning but not daring to take a step in any direction. In an instant there were two more of the almost-rabbits next to the first one. These ones were bigger. Tatsuya had never seen such huge rabbits. She heard rustling in the bushes all around Lord Shigeru's force, and knew they were surrounded.

"Archers!" Shigeru raised an arm, ready to signal the shot. The forest was briefly filled with the slight sound of arrows knocking against bows. Tatsuya hoped they were aiming at the ones surrounding their unit, too. In the brief moment the sound started, the rabbits grinned, their mouths splitting their faces in half and revealing red mouths and sharp white teeth with disproportionately long teeth. They smiled their horrid smiles, and Shigeru forgot to signal. Arrows went flying at the same instant all the rabbit youkai leapt.

**~*~**

Miwa and Rika sobbed with renewed anxiety, clutching at Kagome's sleeves as if they were little girls. Kagome wanted to tell them to shut up, but she feared it would not only break her concentration on the barrier, but also serve to further destroy the women's morale. The youkai was practically salivating, he was enjoying their fear so much. The smirk on his face revealed gleaming white teeth. He licked his lips with an impossibly red tongue and finished undoing the knots in the silk cord that held up his hakama. The women behind Kagome had already hidden their faces behind her back. Kagome's eyes were huge with horror. The youkai laughed, throwing his head back while he took his erection in one hand. Kagome shut her eyes, shame and anger turning her cheeks pink and hot.

The youkai groaned in pleasure. Kagome felt like she was going to be sick. It wasn't long before she could hear the steady rhythm of the youkai's hand on his own body, and the creatures was gasping as he loomed as close to her barrier as he dared. She could feel his eyes on her, devouring her. Bile rose in her throat, just thinking about it. How many ways was this youkai going to make her feel ashamed of herself? She did her best to ignore him.

"Miko," he crooned in a deep, human voice, after several excruciating minutes. Despite herself, Kagome opened her eyes and glared at the youkai.

Laughing at her defiance, he ejaculated, his semen splattering onto Kagome's barrier.

'_Enough,_' Kagome thought. She was done being humiliated. Her barrier pulsed with power, expanding, sending the youkai flying again, this time with singed fur and a few bald spots. With the surge of power, the barrier was clean. The youkai sat up and cried out in disgust at finding his own fluids on his fur. His glare was murderous when he turned it on Kagome again, but she could only laugh. The youkai was so pitifully disgruntled and powerless.

"You," he snarled, his voice sounding like the echo of nails on a chalk board, "I'll make you pay for this." He stood and stalked out of the cave, completely naked, and Kagome felt her blood curdle. Something bad was going to happen, and she didn't know if she could stop it. Before she could even entertain the thought of escaping while the youkai was gone, several giant rabbits with feathers instead of ears came bounding into the cavern. There were too many for her to hope to get past, and from their entrance she already knew that they could outrun her. So much for that.

At least the women behind her were quiet now. They'd been quiet since Kagome laughed, except for the occasional sniffle. She briefly wondered if they'd caught the youkai in his moment of disgrace, and then assumed they had. At least now they knew that even if Kagome couldn't fight the creature off, she could protect the three of them.

Not for the first time that night, Kagome cursed and wished she had her bow.

**~*~**

Staggering to his feet, Mitsuo Shigeru surveyed the servants that had accompanied him on his search for the miko Kagome. "Report!" he demanded. His men found their footing amid the gore that carpeted the forest. They'd taken out no small number of the black creatures that'd attacked them. Mitsuo was still having trouble thinking of them as youkai, as they were like nothing he'd ever seen. The only thing that'd saved his men's lives was that they'd attacked the horses first. It shamed the man. His family business was breeding and training horses for nobles, and in his fevered urge to save the woman he wanted, he'd taken almost half of them on the chase. Each horse's death stung him, but he found some measure of reassurance by Aki's side. The giant horse was not without wounds, but he still carried himself as arrogantly as ever. For as much as the young Mitsuo had thought that arrogance amusing in a colt, he was realizing again and again that it was dangerous in a full grown stallion. At the same time, Mitsuo wouldn't have traded anything to be rid of Aki's attitude, as it'd saved several lives and livelihoods.

"Report!" he shouted again. "Tatsuya!" His men glanced around, looking for their horse master, but no one spoke. "Tatsuya!" Mitsuo shouted through gritted teeth, plunging into the carnage. He quickly threaded his way between fallen horses, looking either for Tatsuya's body among the dead, or the mare she'd ridden in the search.

"Mitsuo-sama!" a man shouted breathlessly. Mitsuo picked his way toward the man, standing just outside the ring of dead. He held the reigns of a weak and frightened horse with brown fur that became gradually blacker toward the hooves. Its black tail flicked with anxiety, and the mare's mane was missing a large lock of hair toward the back of its neck. Mitsuo took the horse's reigns, trying to calm the beast, and examined her mane. The cut was crooked, but purposeful. It was Tatsuya's signal not to follow.

"Where did you find her?" Mitsuo asked the frightened man. In the lord's shock, he couldn't recall the man's name. He couldn't think of very much at all. He still wasn't completely seeing the wounds all around him.

All the man could do was point a short distance into the forest. He started in the indicated direction, and only a few feet in, he fell to his knees, devastated by his failure.

Tatsuya's clothes were strewn around in shreds.

**~*~**

The relatively small youkai that guarded Kagome and the other two women stirred and looked toward the entryway of the cave. Their master strode in, carrying something over his shoulder. Kagome knew what it was, but her mind didn't want to connect the dots. The small youkai scattered to the shadows once more. The one in human form dropped his cargo unceremoniously to the stone floor. Kagome realized what was happening. The youkai had just thrown a woman to the ground in front of the barrier. She was bereft of nearly all clothing, and sported at least a dozen scratches and more than a few bruises. She was barely conscious.

Kagome was horrified. The woman had bangs just like Sango's, but her hair was significantly shorter. Her face would have been pretty, except for the scar that carved from the edge of one eyebrow to her chin, cutting through the corner of her mouth. The scar was old, but the large bruise on her face was not. Kagome presumed the youkai had hit her once to knock her out. The woman pushed herself onto her elbow and tried to shake off her daze, but the youkai grabbed her chin.

"You see that woman there? Your miko?" the youkai hissed, his voice the same screeching echo as before. He forced the woman to look at Kagome, who sat perhaps five feet away from her. The woman stared with confused eyes until the youkai made her look at him. Kagome realized with belated terror that the youkai was still naked. He flipped the woman onto her back and pinned her there.

There was fear instantly on the woman's face. Kagome wanted to look away, but she was somehow transfixed. She couldn't even close her eyes.

"She can stop this," the youkai said. In the next second he'd raked his claws down the woman's front, cutting away the wrappings on her chest and mauling one breast, leaving her naked. She cried out in pain, but then she screamed in earnest when the youkai dug his claws into her hips and buried himself between her legs. She struggled and flailed, and when the youkai got tired of it, he pinned her down again. The woman cried and stopped struggling when it proved fruitless.

Instead, she stared at Kagome while the youkai thrust repeatedly into her, her eyes begging the question, "Why?"


	8. Daybreak

**Disclaimer:** I do not own InuYasha or the like. This story is for my own entertainment. (Well. You can be entertained by it too, I suppose.)

**A/N: **Soooo yeah, I have no excuse. I died. It took a while to find a Phoenix Down in this day and age.

**Because of Tomomi**

**Chapter Eight**

**Daybreak**

"Hey," InuYasha said, giving Ryouta a rough shake. The always-human boy groaned as he woke up, rubbing his eyes. Ryouta had dozed of leaning against a wall. Tomomi was still asleep, her head pillowed on his outstretched legs. One of his hands rested on her head, as he's been stroking her hair while she slept. "Take her home," InuYasha said, nodding to the girl.

"Home…?" Ryouta asked, still half-asleep. "Oh!" he flustered, connecting the dots. "Yes, of course. Ah, but could you help me-" InuYasha nodded before Ryouta had finished speaking, lifting Tomomi enough for the young man to stand, then helped him situate Tomomi on his back. Tomomi scrunched up her face and groaned, but otherwise gave no sign of waking. As Ryouta made for the door, he realized that Sango had left already. How long ago? How long had he been asleep?

InuYasha lifted the matting of the door to one side for Ryouta as he passed, but the young man hesitated halfway through the doorway.

"InuYasha-sama…" he said, worrying over his words. "I… for earlier. I'm sorry. I was out of line and upset about my sister."

"Feh," InuYasha huffed. Ryouta was too ashamed to look at the man's face. "People have done worse things because of their siblings," he said at length. Still uncertain, Ryouta nodded and started the walk home.

Left alone, the hanyou-turned-human surveyed the empty hut. In the midnight dark, the small fire was just enough to see by, casting deep shadows into the corners of the small dwelling. Light barely touched Kaede's workbench, illuminating only the polished urns and jars. The small window cut an opening for the night, which seemed to draw away all the fire's warmth. InuYasha's eyes fell to Kagome's futon, where there were still blankets bunched up as a pillow. It was just last night that he'd shared a bed with Kagome, and suddenly he felt like she was lost to him forever.

He couldn't _do_ that again.

In the three years she was gone, the village changed around him, yet he remained unchanging, un-aging, untouched without Kagome. It was all he could do to stay near Sango and Miroku and Kaede, as if Kagome had merely stepped away and would be back in the usual "three days" after her "tests" and "exams."

InuYasha had suspended his belief so completely, that every three days he'd go back to the Bone Eater's Well, as if to retrieve Kagome. It was there, every time, his heart broke anew. He'd stand at the well for hours on end, feeling lost and horribly alone.

Having Kagome around just made everything better. He could easily, especially tonight, compare the difference to his human and hanyou transformations. He was not blind or deaf as a human - but he might as well be. With Kagome around, the sun seemed brighter. The night seemed calmer. Nothing had changed with the world, but he felt... alive.

He stayed up all night, watching out the window until the first rays of sun were lightening the sky. Scarcely as the changes finished, he bolted furiously out of the hut, knocking the matting from the door frame and running as fast as his legs could carry him - and it still wasn't fast enough to ease the cold grip fear had on his stomach.

The woman let out a broken cry, curled near the edge of Kagome's barrier. Tears slid freely down her face. Her body was a patchwork of scratches and scrapes, bruises on her wrists and hips and face in addition to the scars she already bore. The wounds the youkai carved into her torso had mostly stopped bleeding, making Kagome realize they weren't as bad as she had first thought. It wasn't anything that a few salves and bandages wouldn't see healed in a couple weeks. Kagome grimaced inwardly. If the youkai kept attacking her with such vigor, the wounds would become worse. The scabs had already broken open twice because of him.

Kagome's mouth was dry from the horror. "What's your name?" she asked the woman, her voice strangled.

"Tatsuya," the woman replied between sobs. She pulled the tattered remains of a yukata around her shoulders. She leaned closer to Kagome's barrier, but jerked away when it shocked her. Kagome was nearly sick with herself. She was supposed to be a miko, the protector of the small village and the people that lived there. Yet here she was hiding behind a barrier with two frightened women, while the one that needed her the most sat on the outside, crying and rocking herself.

"Tatsuya-san," Kagome repeated, "if there was any way I could help you, I would. I-"

"I know," Tatsuya tearfully interrupted her. "I know. Don't risk the others for me. Please. I couldn't bear it."

Heart broken, Kagome felt tears on her own cheeks. "Oh, Tatsuya-san... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

The delighted chittering of the strange rabbit youkai signaled the arrival of their leader. The tall humanoid creature sauntered into the cave, taking long, leisurely steps. Tatsuya whimpered as he crossed the cave to her, and lifted her off her feet.

"Good morning, my pet," he grinned, all sharp teeth and red tongue. Tatsuya struggled to push him away, but he only pinned her against his body. Tatsuya let out a sound of anguish as he kissed her, forcing her mouth open and grabbing her ass with his other hand to grind against him. He suddenly shrank back, flinging her back toward Kagome's barrier with a curse. Tatsuya struggled to her hands and knees, spatting blood in the youkai's direction. The youkai touched his lip. His fingers came away slick and red. Tatsuya leaned against the barrier as she stood, ignoring the numbing shocks that ran through her arms. The youkai's glare was venomous.

Kagome realized with a jolt to her heart that Tatsuya was going to die. She closed her eyes as she became dizzy.

"Gods forgive me," Kagome whispered, then held her breath.

The youkai lunged for Tatsuya, hungry for her death. Tatsuya barely managed to turn away from him, curling in on herself and bracing for the strike. The two village women inside the barrier screamed, one crying out wordlessly, the other simply protesting, "no!" There was a flash of light and a splash of red, then all was silent except for the sick, steady, drip, drip, drip, of blood.

Kagome opened her eyes, her heart like thunder in her ears. Her lungs burned for air, consumed by her adrenaline. Tatsuya was sprawled on the ground before her, heedless of her indecency. Her eyes were wide, unseeing. Miwa clutched Kagome's arm hard enough to bruise her. Rika crawled as close as she could to the fallen woman while staying within the barrier. Kagome's vision started to blur with unshed tears, then Tatsuya took a shuddering breath.

Next to her lay a misshapen hand, five times the size of a man's with only four huge fingers, each one tipped with a wicked, curved claw. The skin was black, wrinkled in places as if it was stretched too tight over the bones and muscles of the hand. Blood pooled in a dark, viscous puddle at the severed forearm. Kagome felt like she was going to be ill.

Several feet away, the humanoid youkai seethed and panted in rage and pain. He held one hand against the stump of his opposite arm, which bled freely. "You bitch," he growled, scowling fit to curdle milk. His voice rose to a roar, making Kagome flinch, "You **bitch**! You filthy, underhanded **cur**!"

A few inches from where Tatsuya lie, relearning how to breathe, a second barrier shimmered in the firelight. Mustering all her will, Kagome forced her shoulders to relax and dropped the first barrier. Rika went to Tatsuya, removing her mo-bakama and wrapping it around the other woman's shoulders as she sat up.

Kagome defiantly met the youkai's eyes. She was weary from the exertion of power, but determined to protect the village women with her.

"Kagome-sama," Tatsuya whispered as Rika ushered her closer. She dissolved into tears again, clinging desperately to Rika's arm.

InuYasha hurled an angry fist into another hapless tree. He'd lost the scent _again_. How the hell did this happen to him? He'd never had trouble tracking Kagome. _Never_. It was already mid-morning and he'd gone in three grandiose circles, leading back to the point she'd been captured. Finding himself at the mouth of the lake that fed the river, he roared his frustration to the sky. An answering cry of alarm came from across the river. InuYasha leaped over the river and crashed into the underbrush of the forest, pinpointing the origin of sound.

He knocked Mitsuo head over heels and sent him rolling. Dizzy, the man got to his hands and knees, shaking his head.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" InuYasha demanded, furious. Mitsuo flinched away, looking dazed. InuYasha picked him up by the neck of his clothes and set him on his feet. "_What the hell_," he demanded again.

Mitsuo spouted random stutters and gibberish, staring through InuYasha like he wasn't there and grasping uselessly at the hanyou's wrist on his collar. Angry to all hell and back, InuYasha shook him. And shook him. And shook him. Even after Mitsuo was using real words and complete sentences again, InuYasha kept shaking him back and forth by the back of his collar. Kagome wasn't there to stop him, to tell him it was enough. Kagome wasn't there at all, and this maggoty little human had the gall to be wandering the _fucking_ forest.

A voice caught his attention. "YouuuuuuuuuuKAI!" Then there was a weight on his back and a girl was laughing in his ear. He lost his grip on Mitsuo. The human crumpled and was abruptly sick.

"Tomomi!" InuYasha snapped, grabbing her arm and flinging her off his back. He landed her on her feet rather roughly, and she made a sound of surprise. "Go home!" he roared in her face. Mitsuo was done purging his stomach. InuYasha jerked him to his feet, again by his collar. "_Both_ of you!" He spun on his heel, set to jump back across the river and continue his search.

"Tatsuya!" Mitsuo blurted out, taking a few hesitant steps toward InuYasha. Baffled, InuYasha looked over his shoulder at the man. "Tatsuya went missing, too. Presumably... presumably by the same creature that took Kagome-sama."

InuYasha spun around. "_What_?" He took three angry strides back to Mitsuo. "You mean the fucker was _here_ and you didn't _tell me_?"

"I tried!" Mitsuo shouted back, regaining some color in his face. "You were trying to rattle my brains to mush at the time!"

"Show me," InuYasha growled. Mitsuo stared at him. "_Show me where he took her from, you stupid shitsack of a human_!" Mitsuo, frowning, opened his mouth like he was going to say something. InuYasha shook him. "No!" he yelled. "Quit _fucking _talking! Who knows where they are or what that jackass is doing to them! _Show me_!" InuYasha shoved the young noble, who seemed to swallow his pride as he turned and walked the direction he'd come from.

InuYasha didn't care that Mitsuo was walking back to his own personal nightmare.

He hated the scent of his own blood. He hated the taste of it even worse. And that miserable, disfigured human girl _bit his tongue_ until it _bled_. It was a mistake to throw her near the miko. He'd underestimated the wench.

_She'd purified his arm off._

He circled the new barrier, shimmering like moonlight on water. The two useless women were crying again. He snarled at them to make them flinch. He took no joy in their torment. They were too weak to be enjoyable, and no use to him at all.

Resentment burned like bile in his stomach. The barrier was flawless, again. Standing behind the miko, where she couldn't see him, he flung himself at the barrier, savagely clawing at it.

Even in her blind spot, all he had to show for his efforts was a ragged manicure. He continued pacing.

He was a predator. These were his prey! Sitting right before him, each of them somehow stripped, and he couldn't touch them. So close to lifting his curse, so close he could taste it, and a miko's _barrier_ stopped him. At least he'd made the miko flinch. It was the best he'd managed in the last few hours. The longer time stretched, the more determined the miko became.

He licked his lips, contemplating all the vile ways he could devour her. Wondering which would shame her the most. He'd gotten very good at shaming women, all for the sake of his sleeping mate. She'd understand, in time, what he'd done for her. All the women, all the blood, was to awaken her. He'd take all the evil, become evil, if she'd only open her eyes for him.

The drip, drip, drip, of his unhealing wound broke him from his reverie. Every drop of blood burned him, shaming him and marking him as a _failure_.

_This fucking miko!_

In the blink of an eye he tore upon the miko's wall, clawing, snarling, swearing, flailing his amputated arm to fling blood over the walls, the floor, the barrier, screaming filthy promises of copulation and indignity. The barrier hissed, burning away the stain of his blood. The human women screamed, covering their ears. Kagome, that hideous blight on his life, met his red eyes with a cool fury of her own, but there was fear there.

_Fear!_ He had her. He leaned as close as he could to the barrier, sneering at her with every last one of his needle-sharp teeth, and he laughed. He held her gaze, practically foaming at the mouth like some mad dog, and laughed for all he was worth. Laughed like she didn't matter. Laughed like he didn't see his life crumbling in his own hands. Laughed, because there wasn't anything else he could do.

Then the hanyou appeared.

The first traces of the dawn sun pressed behind him, making him a dark silhouette except for his gold eyes, which caught the firelight and seemed to glow in his fury. His gaze lit upon the miko, her clothing half gone, then there was no word for the look on his face.

He knew that face. He'd worn that face. He'd happened upon his mate, her beautiful face slack with an enchanted sleep, a miko bowing over her body, holding her wrist. The miko had laughed at him, cursed him as she'd cursed his mate. An impossible task. Only after he'd shed the maiden blood of a thousand potential mothers would he even stand a chance at awakening his mate. He understood this hanyou more than he cared to admit, and now one of them was going to die.

"Where are you going?"

Tomomi turned from the rock she was climbing, enough to look at Mitsuo over her shoulder. "Inu-inu went this way," she said plainly. Mitsuo tried to pull her down from the boulder.

"He was following the ruined trees. He went this way," he said, pointing into the broken forest. Tomomi pursed her lips, still gripping the big rock and halfway over it. She looked in the direction he pointed, thought for a moment, and shook her head.

"No," she said musically. "You're wrong." While Mitsuo sputtered, she continued over her rock. Mitsuo hastened after her, determined not to let another young woman get carried away. He'd scarcely landed on the other side of the rocky barricade when Tomomi was off again. In a completely different direction.

"I thought you said he went _that_ way!" Mitsuo cried, exasperated.

"He did," Tomomi replied, continuing in a perpendicular path.

"Then where are we going _now_?"

"To see the lady," she said. Mitsuo threw his hands in the air and gave up. Tomomi giggled at him.

It was surprisingly hard to keep up with the girl. She effortlessly sprang over unearthed roots, sidestepped brambles, and dodged stray branches that would have scratched her. Mitsuo was decidedly less graceful, tripping over roots and ripping his clothes despite his best effort. He grimaced to himself. He belonged on a horse. He wasn't the sort to go tearing through a forest on his own two feet.

Tomomi stopped in a small clearing and looked around. She was frowning. Mitsuo took the chance to catch his breath, stooped over with his hands on his knees.

"There you are!" the girl grinned, taking off again. "Wait up!"

Utterly bewildered, Mitsuo followed. "Who are you talking to?" he asked. Tomomi pressed forward with such single-minded determination, he doubted she'd even heard him.

She slowed to a brisk walk after a while, then started picking her way down a hill. In the valley between one hill and the next, there was a small cave that Mitsuo guessed used to feed an old river. There were smooth, flat rocks at the entrance. Perhaps it was behind a waterfall? Tomomi ventured in, Mitsuo following closely. He'd already figured it was pointless to argue with the girl, or reason with her. The most he could do was keep her safe.

But he was no match for a youkai, and that's _just_ what they found. Inside the cave, which was lit by some sort of odd mushroom, lay a female youkai in a large cradle of polished wood, cushioned with vines, flowers, and long grass. Her long, wispy hair was a translucent sea green, spilling over the edges of her bed. Her skin was covered in black, velvet-like fur. Someone had dressed her in a white silk kimono and folded her hands over her stomach, swollen with child.

Mitsuo gasped when Tomomi caught his hand. She stood close to him, anxiety written plainly on her face. She took a hesitant step forward. Mitsuo tried to hold her back.

"We should leave," he said through clenched teeth. He didn't take his eyes off the youkai.

"She's asleep," Tomomi announced.

Mitsuo whispered harshly, "And we should leave before she wakes up!"

She turned to him, tears in her eyes. She wasn't scared. She was sad. "We can't wake her up," she said. Sniffling, she crossed the small cave to the sleeping youkai.


End file.
